The Daemon Eater's Rose
by RyuJudge6614
Summary: Velvet Crowe has defeated Artorius, but is fatally injured in the process. However, fate is a mysterious thing as after she dies, she is somehow transported to the world of Remnant. Here, she will face new challenges and have a second chance at life, and meet a certain silver-eyed huntress along the way.
1. Chapter 1

**The Daemon Eater's Rose**

By RyuJudge6614

 **I do not own RWBY, Velvet Crowe, or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Notes: I apologize in advance if Velvet appears a little OOC at times since I never played Tales of Berseria.**

 **Summary:**

Velvet Crowe has defeated Artorius, but is fatally wounded in the process. However, fate is a mysterious mistress as she is somehow transported to the World of Remnant. In this new world, she will have a second chance at life, and meet a certain silver-eyed huntress along the way.

Chapter 1: A Second Chance

"VELVET!" Artorius yells as he charges Velvet Crowe, who meets his attack head-on.

"ARTORIUS!" Velvet shouts as they close in on each other, Artorius raising his sword while Velvet uses her left arm in its daemon form.

Both warriors launch their final attack in a powerful clash, with both sliding past each other. They remain still for a moment until Artorius suddenly falls to the ground as blood begins to seep from a heavy wound on his left side. Artorius tries to get up, but fails as he falls back onto the ground and coughs up more blood.

"N-no…All I have worked for…to be defeated like this…by a monster like y-you…V-Velvet Crowe…" Artorius gasps as he loses strength.

Velvet does not turn to him, "That was for Laphi…and for all the lives you ruined. We won't live by your rules anymore. Instead, we will walk our own path…and be free," she decrees.

"…D-damn…you…" Artorius speaks as he draws his last breath and passes on.

From the sidelines, Velvet's friends watch on in awe as Velvet finally defeats Artorius, and ends this conflict.

"Velvet…She did it," Laphicet says.

"Yes, and now we have achieved our goal," Eizen adds as he crosses his arms with a smile.  
"Well, this has been quite the party, hasn't it?" Magilou says.

"You okay with all this, Eleanor?" Rokurou asks the spear wielder.

"I know I may be an exorcist, but I am also Velvet's servant, and I have made my choice. Besides, I made a promise to her, didn't I?" Eleanor answers him.

However, Velvet suddenly falls to the ground and they all stare on in shock for a second before running over to her.

"Velvet!" Laphicet yells as he kneels beside her.

Velvet coughs up some blood, and as the others encircle her, they notice a huge gash on her side, most likely from Artorius' sword.

"Hold on! We'll help you!" Laphicet cries, and reaches for her, but Velvet stops him with her left hand.

"I'm afraid that's not happening this time, Laphicet. That last battle drew every last bit of my strength, and a wound like this isn't helping," Velvet replies before she starts coughing again.

"But there has to be something we can do! Magilou, can't you heal her with your magic?!" Rokurou desperately asks.

"I don't have enough energy for that. And this injury is too deep…I'm sorry," Magilou confesses as she lowers her head.

"No! Velvet, you can't die yet, who am I supposed to serve if not you," Eleanor cries.

Velvet slowly turns her head to Eizen," Well Grim Reaper, looks like death has finally come for me…heh-heh," She laughs her fate off, and Eizen just closes his eyes and turns away.

"Velvet…V-Velvet," Laphicet cries with tears in his eyes.

Velvet places her right hand on his head, and he looks her right in the eye.

"D-don't cry…Laphicet…No matter what…you have to keep going. Keep living your life as you want…Okay?" Velvet says with a small smile. Laphicet cries even more, but eventually nods his head to her. Velvet then turns to Eleanor. "Eleanor, you are no longer my servant, but I ask that you keep your promise and watch over Laphicet for me," Velvet adds and then looks at Rokurou, Eizen, and Magilou. "As for the rest of you, this isn't really my style…but thank you for all your help. Now…just go and live your own lives now," She tells them.

"Haven't you noticed by now? We've always lived by our own rules. It will just be a little easier to do that now…Though it will be a little lonely without you around," Rokurou says as he barely manages to hold back his tears.

"Though I may be the Reaper, I won't be claiming your soul…That belongs with you…Have a safe journey to the next world…my friend," Eizen adds.

"I've had a lot of fun over the years…But the most fun I've had has been traveling with you, Velvet…" Magilou says as she tries to keep a smile through her tears.

Velvet smiles at all of them and looks straight up, "Thank…you…everyone…" she says and closes her eyes one last time…

…

In an endless white void, Velvet slowly opens her eyes. She sit up and looks around as she sees nothing but a white expanse all around her. She looks at her torso to see no wound from before, and feels around to sense no pain. Seeing that she is alright, Velvet stands up.

"Well, looks like I really am dead," Velvet says as she looks around.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," a new voice says.

Velvet quickly turns around and gets in a combat stance as she eyes the source of the voice. It is a woman, older than her, with short black hair with red tips, wearing a white cloak with a hood. Her face is pale and she has silver eyes. For a moment, neither move, but for some reason Velvet can't feel any animosity from the mysterious woman. Rather, she feels a sense of peace around her, and so she relaxes her stance.

"Who are you? Some kind of angel to take me to Heaven…or send me to Hell?" Velvet questions her.

The woman shakes her head, "Who I am is not important, and though I do want to send you somewhere, it is neither Heaven nor Hell, but a different world entirely…My world to be exact," the woman explains.

Now Velvet grew curious, "And just what world is this exactly?" she asks.

"My world is called Remnant, and although there are a lot of differences between my world and yours, there are a few similarities as well," the woman explains.

"Like what exactly?" Velvet asks.

The mysterious woman slowly walks up to Velvet and raises her right hand to her face. Velvet gets defensive for a moment, but when the woman makes no further movement and inclines her head to allow her to continue, Velvet eventually relents. The woman places her hand on Velvet's forehead and suddenly, a rush of knowledge and information come into her mind. She sees images of the four kingdoms of Remnant, the huntsmen academies, humans and Faunus, and the creatures of Grimm. The huge load of information makes her cringe and her head hurt, but she pushes through it until it ends. The woman removes her hand as Velvet holds her head in her own. The pain eventually fades and Velvet calms down as she looks at the woman.

"So that's what your world is like huh? But what does this have to do with me? Why do you want to send me there?" she asks.

"For a few reasons, but the main reason is a selfish one…I want you to protect my daughter," the woman replies.

"Your daughter?" Velvet raises an eyebrow.

"Yes…You see, a dark and difficult path awaits her in her life, and though she'll have friends by her side, I'm afraid that won't be enough. That's why I want you to be there to protect her," the woman explains.

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly like being told what to do, nor do I like being someone's slave or servant. I've had enough of that back in my world," Velvet retorts.

"I know what you have been through, Velvet Crowe. That is why I won't force you to do this. I can only ask you. If you refuse, I won't hold it against you…But please, I ask you: protect my precious little rose," the woman pleads as she clasps her hands in front of her.

Velvet thinks for a moment and looks right into the woman's eyes, seeing no deceit in them. She continues to think for another moment and then sighs.

"Would I still be able to live as I please even if I do this?" she asks.

"Yes. You would have a second chance at life, no longer bound by another's ideals," the woman says.

"…Then answer me this. Do you love your daughter?" Velvet asks.

"…She is more than my whole world. I love her more than anything else. If I didn't, I wouldn't have the right to ask you to do this," the woman answers.

"…Then I'll do it. I'll watch over your daughter," Velvet gives her answer.

The woman smiles and sheds a few tears before regaining her composure, "Thank you! Oh, thank you," she says and then raise her hand to Velvet again. "Are you ready?" she asks.

"Wait, what is your daughter's name?" Velvet asks.

"Don't worry. You'll know it's her when you meet her…And good luck," the woman says as her eyes begin to shin brightly before Velvet is engulfed in that brilliant light. A moment later, Velvet disappears. "Be safe, Velvet Crowe, and take care of Ruby for me…"


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome to Remnant

**I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. This will begin a few days after Team RWBY's first day of school at Beacon. Enjoy.**

 **Chapter 2: Welcome to Remnant**

Velvet slowly opens her eyes and finds herself laying on the ground in some unknown forest. She sits up and looks around to see trees full of green lives and everything is quite, but peaceful around her.

 _"What was that? Was that a dream? But, I remember dying…after I killed Artorius. And then there was that woman in the white cloak. Just what the Hell happened?"_ Velvet asks herself as she stands up and looks to the sky. She sees stars in the sky, meaning it is night right now, but as she looks around, her eyes widen as she spots a shattered moon with pieces of it scattered in the sky. "When the Hell did the moon get destroyed?" Velvet questions as suddenly her mind recalls the knowledge the strange woman implanted in her mind.

She holds her head in her right hand and closes her eyes as she remembers what transpired before she got here.

"That's right. I'm not in my world anymore. I'm on Remnant now. Good thing that woman gave me all that info, otherwise getting used to this world would be that much more difficult. Well, guess I'd better find some place to settle down before making my next move," she notes before she starts walking through the forest.

As Velvet walks through the forest, she looks around and notices a lack of local fauna in the area. The forest was quiet, almost too quiet. As she continues her trek through the forest, Velvet can't help but feel as if she's being watched. She looks around, but sees nothing as she keeps walking. A few minutes later, she finds herself at a clearing in the forest. Ahead of her, Velvet sees an old temple of sorts, appearing to be quite old if the signs of decay and plant growth are any indicators. She approaches the temple and looks around, noting the pedestals set around the center of the structure.

"Doesn't look like this will be a good place to rest. Better start looking somewhere else then," Velvet says and begins to leave the temple. However, as she leaves, she hears some growling from the forest and looks forward to spot several sets of red eyes all staring back at her. Stepping out of the tree-line are around a dozen unknown creatures that look like black werewolves with bone armor, spikes, and a mask with red markings and red eyes. Velvet eyes them warily. "Ah, so these are the creatures of Grimm, Beowolves to be exact. Don't seem much different than all the daemons I fought back home. Well, let's see is these monsters can put up a better fight than them," Velvet says as he lowers her stance and a short blade pops out of the bracer on her right arm.

…

Meanwhile back at Beacon, Professor Ozpin is sitting at his desk, going through some paperwork for the new semester while having a drink of his beloved coffee. A moment later, an alert comes up on one of his screens, gaining his attention.

" _Hm, one of the security cameras in the Emerald Forest has picked up something by the old temple where the initiation pieces were kept. Let's see what it picked up,"_ Ozpin notes before pulling up the footage on his screen. When he sees the footage, his eyebrows raise a bit as he sees Velvet being surrounded by Beowolves in the forest. "Well, this is interesting. But, it would not bode well for someone to die in the forest, now would it?" Ozpin says just as the elevator to his office comes up and the doors open to reveal Professor Goodwitch.

"Professor Ozpin, I was hoping to speak to you about-," she begins.

"Ah, Glynda, excellent timing. We have a situation in the Emerald Forest," he interrupts her.

Glynda gets more serious, "What's going on?" she asks as she approaches his desk.

"One of the cameras picked up a young woman near the abandoned temple in the forest, and Beowolves have appeared all around her. I need you to take a team with you and head out there to rescue her," Ozpin says.

"Who in their right minds would be out in a Grimm-infested forest late at night?" She asks as she walks around his desk to look at the monitor. She gets a good look at Velvet's situation, "Well, that answers my question. Judging by how damaged her clothes are, she must have been out there for quite some time, but why are we only finding out about this now?" she questions.

"We'll figure that out later. For now, I suggest you get Team RWBY and head out there to help. I'll monitor things from here and keep you posted. Go now," Ozpin answers a little more urgently.

"Right away," Glynda replies and leaves the room.

Ozpin continues to watch the video feed as Velvet prepares to fight.

"Hopefully, we will not be too late," he mutters.

…

It does not take long for Professor Goodwitch to reach Team RWBY's room. She knocks on the door a little harder than necessary, and a moment later, the door opens to reveal Weiss Schnee in her nightgown, and with a scowl on her face.

"Do you have any idea-oh Professor Goodwitch. What are you doing here?" She quickly corrects herself from yelling at the Professor.

"I apologize for the late night visit, but there is little time," Goodwitch says as she walks by Weiss to see that the rest of her team were all in their night wear, but now waking up.

"Professor Goodwitch, what's going on?" Team leader Ruby Rose answers as she drops down from her bed hanging by rope attached to the ceiling.

"The cameras in the Emerald Forest have picked up a young woman being surrounded by Beowolves. Professor Ozpin wants us to go out there on a rescue mission. I need you four to get ready quickly and come with me immediately," Goodwitch answers.

"Do you have any idea who this girl is?" Blake asks.

"Right now, no. That's why we need to hurry. I'll wait outside for you to get changed. Move it, NOW," Glynda orders them and leaves the room.

Not wanting to argue, the four girls quickly change into their combat attire and ready their weapons.

"So, anyone wanna guess who would be crazy enough to go out into the Emerald forest all by themselves?" Yang asks as she checks her gauntlets, Ember Celica.

"Well, Professor Goodwitch said the girl was unknown, so it probably isn't a student here," Blake answers as she loads a clip into her katana, Gambol Shroud.

"Must be another bumbling idiot like that blonde buffoon, Jaune," Weiss says, aggravated at her sleep being interrupted.

"C'mon Weiss, we can't think like that right now. What's important is that someone is in trouble and we need to help," Ruby says as she places her sniper scythe, Crescent Rose, on her back. "All right, Team RWBY, let's begin our first rescue mission," Ruby cheers as the group leave the room to meet Goodwitch outside.

"Took you long enough. Now let's go, we need to hurry," she replies and quickly moves with Team RWBY in tow.

…

Meanwhile, Velvet continues to look around as the Beowolves surround her on all sides, numbering around twenty-five now. She readies her bracer blade.

"Let's see if you guys are any better than the demons back home," Velvet mutters as she shows off a confident smile.

One Beowolf runs at her, leaping at her when it gets close, but Velvet jumps over it while swinging her arm blade at its neck, decapitating it. The headless Grimm's body falls to the ground and begins dissipating into smoke as Velvet looks on.

 _"That's right. These things turn into smoke after they die, but nobody knows how or why. Probably won't work if I try to eat them like I did with demons,"_ Velvet mentally notes.

Three more Beowolves charge at different angles at her. Velvet kicks on in the skull behind her, jumps over one at her right flank, and makes three swings with her blade at the third to her left that kills it. Two more come at her front. Velvet runs at them and then slides under them as try attack with their claws. Once she's behind them, she runs back and jumps onto one, stabbing it in the head. She then tackles the second to the ground and stabs in in its chest several times, killing it. Velvet backflips away as another Beowolf tries to strike her with its claws. After she lands on her feet, six Beowolves rush her from all angles. Velvet activates the blades in her shoes, and then stand on her hands as she twists around, using the blades to slice through each Grimm, leaving their bodies in pieces. Velvet soon stops spinning and gets back on her feet as she eyes the remaining fifteen Beowolves that approach her with more caution.

"Humanity's greatest enemy, huh? Don't seem so tough to me," She notes.

…

Professor Goodwitch and Team RWBY are all on board a bullhead airship as it flies to Velvet's location. While the first-years check their weapons, Glynda pulls out her scroll to check in with Ozpin.

"Professor Ozpin, how are things looking?" she asks.

"I'm watching her now, and so far, the young woman originally had twenty-five Beowolves surrounding her, but now she has killed ten of them. She's doing quite well. The only weapons I've seen her used were a blade in her right bracer, and a hidden blade in each of her two armored shoes. I must admit, she is quite impressive," Ozpin calmly notes.

"Professor Ozpin, is this really the time? Whatever, as long as she is alive when we reach her. We should arrive in a few minutes. Keep me posted," Glynda says before disconnecting.

"Well, it sounds like our damsel in distress isn't quite so in distress, now is she?" Yang jokes.

"Hopefully it stays that way when we reach her," Blake adds.

"I'm kind of interested to see her weapons. Blades in a bracer and in her boots sounds so cool," Ruby says, getting off topic.

"Ruby, this is not the time. You can ask her about her weapons after we are back at Beacon," Weiss berates her.

"Ooh right, sorry. I couldn't help it," Ruby apologizes.

"Enough. We'll be arriving at the temple shortly. Get ready," Glynda reminds them as they continue on their way.

…

Velvet slices off the head of another Beowolf as in the past few minutes, she's reduced the number of Beowolves from fifteen to ten. Velvet looks around as the remaining Beowolves get ready to attack again. Velvet retracts her blade.

"Alright, time to end this," she declares. Velvet looks at her left arm and focuses her energy. A moment later, her bandaged left arm turns into a large, blackish red werewolf arm with sharp claws. Velvet raises her arm and looks at it with a sense of nostalgia. "Looks like some things haven't changed, even in a new world," she mutters.

Velvet charges the Grimm, and strikes at two of them with her left arm, killing them both in one strike as their bodies are ripped to pieces. She then jumps into the air spins around, slamming her arm into three more onto the ground. When Velvet land, one Beowolf jumps at her from behind, but she grabs its head and crushes it with her demon arm. After that, she attacks two more, clawing one in half and stabbing her claws in the other's neck. Velvet looks back at the last five in front of her and gets an idea in her head.

 _"I wonder if I can still perform that one arte from Seres,"_ Velvet thinks, and a moment later, the ring from Seres appears on her right middle finger. Velvet looks at the ring and allows a small smile on her face. _"Guess that answers that…Good to know you still have my back…Seres,"_ Velvet mentally notes.

Velvet summons fire into her left hand, and then thrusts in forward, sending a ball of fire at the remaining Grimm. The fire arte strikes all five and consumes them in its flames, reducing them to ashes. With the battle over, Velvet deactivates her demon arm and takes a breath to calm herself. She looks around to see all the bodies of the dead Grimm have evaporated into smoke. Looking around, she doesn't see any more around her, so she assumes the area is clear now. Deciding to continue on her quest to find some place to hunker down, Velvet begins walking again, but stops a moment later when she hears a strange noise coming from above her. She looks up to see a bullhead airship approaching and slowly lowers down a few yards ahead of her.

"A bullhead airship. Heh, that knowledge thing that woman did sure helps," Velvet says before the right side of the airship opens up to reveal five females inside.

The first is an older women with green eyes and blonde hair tied into a bun with a few locks left untied, with glasses and wearing a white top showing a little cleavage, a black pencil skirt, stockings, and black high-heeled boots. In her right hand is a riding crop. Behind her are four girls around Velvet's age. The first is a girl with long loose blonde hair going down to her waist. She is wearing a tan short-sleeved jacket over a yellow tank top, black short-shorts with a brown half-skirt of sorts around her shorts, along with a white underskirt longer than the brown one. She has on brown knee-high boots with yellow socks, and a purple bandana around her left knee. On her arms are a pair of yellow shotgun gauntlets. The second girl has long white hair tied in an off-center ponytail on her left side in a tiara. She has blue eyes, and is wearing white bolero jacket over a white/ pale blue thigh-length strapless dress with a ribbon tied around her waist. She has on a pair of white high-heeled boots, and is wielding a rapier of sorts in her left hand. The third girl has long black hair with a black bow on top, and has amber eyes. She is wearing a black buttoned down vest with coattails and a white, sleeveless, high necked shirt underneath. She is also wearing white shorts, black stockings that fade into purple at the bottom, black low heeled boots, a black detached sleeve on her left arm, a black scarf around her neck, and black ribbons around her forearms. She is wielding a black katana in her right arm with a sharpened sheath on her back. However, the fourth girl is what gets Velvet's attention the most.

The fourth girl, appearing to be the youngest in the group, is wearing a red cloak with a hood, a black long sleeved shirt with red trim, a black corset with red strings around her waist, a black skirt with red trim, black stockings, a black belt with several bullets on it, and black boots with red lacings and red trims. She has what looks like a large red scythe with some kind of trigger mechanism on the side. But what catches her attention the most is the girl's face. She has short black hair with red tips, and silver eyes. Seeing the girl, Velvet remembers what the strange woman from before said, and why she's here.

 _"You'll know when you meet her,"_ the woman's words echo in her mind.

 _"Who would've thought that the reason I'm here would come to me so soon. Lucky me. Well, I did say I would watch over her. Let's see how this plays out,"_ Velvet notes as she slowly walks over to the group.

Goodwitch steps up, "Hello, I am Professor Glynda Goodwitch from Beacon Academy. I would like to know why you were traversing through a Grimm-infested forest alone and without proper resources," Glynda questions her sternly.

Velvet narrows her eyes, _"Great, another no nonsense chick. Reminds me of Eleanor when we first met,"_ Velvet mentally says. "Just passing through. Lost my supplies on the way here. Grimm seem to love me for some reason," she jokes.

"I can surmise, given your…attire," Glynda notes as she looks Velvet up and down.

Team RWBY do the same, with Ruby and Weiss having a slight blush of embarrassment at Velvet's damaged clothing not leaving much to the imagination.

"How can you were such an outfit?! Aren't you even cold?" Weiss almost yells.

"Works for me. And you get used to the cold. I've been wearing these for quite some time," Velvet replies.

"How long have you been out here then if you've worn the same clothing for a long while?" Blake asks.

"Not long. Like I said, just passing through," Velvet says.

"Well, where you planning on heading? To Vale perhaps?" Glynda inquires.

"If that's where the road takes me. What's it to you?" Velvet asks.

"Well, we caught you on our security cameras, surrounded by Beowolves, and were sent here to rescue you," Glynda answers.

Velvet looks around the area and then back at them, "I can take care of myself. I'm no novice when it comes to fighting to survive," Velvet says.

"I can see that. If I may, we were also tasked with bringing you back to Beacon. You will be safe there. Also, the headmaster wishes to speak with you," Glynda says.

Velvet thinks for a moment, "…And if I refuse? After all, you don't know me. For all you know, I could be some kind of psychotic maniac on a killing spree," she inquires while extending her arm blade to prove her point.

This action puts the members of Team RWBY on edge, but Glynda remains calm.

"Please, we are not your enemies. At Beacon, we can provide you with better clothing, food, and help with your injuries," Glynda says.

"What injuries?" Velvet asks.

Glynda gestures to Velvet's left arm, "Your left arm is covered in bandages and they look old. You look like you could use medical attention," Glynda responds.

Velvet looks at her left arm, "This isn't an injury. My arm is fine," she says. _"If having an arm covered in bandages that can turn into a demon arm be counted as 'fine."_

"Even so, I still ask: will you come with us?" Glynda asks politely.

Team RWBY remain silent throughout the exchange, watching the two women converse. However, When Velvet looks at them, they tense up a bit since Velvet still has her arm blade out. Ruby then notices how Velvet looks at them, specifically her. Their eyes remain connected for a few short moments before Velvet looks back at Goodwitch and sheathes her blade.

"Alright. I'll go with you. But no tricks or traps alright. I met my share of people who stab others in the back for selfish reasons," Velvet says.

"Thank you. Come with us then," Glynda says and they all board the bullhead to head back to Beacon.

…

Back in his office, Ozpin watches from his monitors before going back over the footage of Velvet's fight with the Grimm. He pays particular attention to Velvet's left arm.

Ozpin holds his chin in his left hand, "Interesting…"

 **Please Read and Review.**


	3. Chapter 3: You're Joking, Right?

**I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here is chapter 3. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: You're joking, right?**

The ride back to Beacon had been relatively silent as the occupants made little conversation with each other. However, the silence has started to get to Yang so she decided to change that.

"So…What's your name?" she asks Velvet who is standing in front of her looking out the side of the airship.

"…Velvet," Velvet answers without looking back at Yang.

"Oh…That's…nice. Where are you from?" Yang asks again.

"…Not here," Velvet vaguely answers.

Yang leans closer to Blake on her left, "And I thought you didn't talk much when we first met," she whispers, to which Blake just rolls her eyes.

"So want to tell us why you were in the Emerald Forest now?" Weiss asks with some mild irritation in her voice.

"Not your business," Velvet replies, starting to get a little annoyed.

"Why you little-," Weiss begins before Ruby stops her with a hand on her right shoulder.

"Weiss, we need to try to make friends with her, not enemies," Ruby calms her down, so Weiss just turns her head away with a mild grunt. "Excuse me," Ruby begins and Velvet finally turns around to face her. "I didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves. My name is Ruby Rose, leader of Team RWBY. These are my teammates: Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and my older sister, Yang Xiao Long. It's nice to meet you," Ruby politely introduces everyone.

Velvet looks over the team, _"…So we have the reason I'm here, someone who is obviously a spoiled rich kid, a girl who may be the silent type, and a blonde bimbo who is also Ruby's sister. Great…Wait a minute?"_ Velvet thinks before looking between Ruby and Yang. "Sister? Then why do you have different last names?" she asks.

"Oh, well actually we're half-sisters. Same dad, but different moms. Xiao long is our dad's last name and Rose is my mom's last name," Ruby replies.

"I see," Velvet says before turning away again.

Ruby tries to think of something to say and looks at Velvet's left arm, "You sure you don't want your arm looked at back at the school?" she asks.

"I told you, it's not an injury," Velvet reminds them.

"Then why are you wearing bandages all around your arm?" Blake joins in.

"Why are you wearing a bow on your head?" Velvet counters.

"I…have my reasons," Blake immediately gets defensive about her bow.

"Then there's your answer," Velvet says.

Glynda then speaks up, "We are about to arrive at the school now. Everyone get ready to disembark," she says.

Velvet looks out the side of the airship to see the large structure that is Beacon Academy, taking in the expansive campus grounds and the tall central tower of the school. While she made no indication of it, she was slightly impressed with how it looked.

 _"Even if I had knowledge about it, seeing it with my own eyes is certainly a whole different experience. So this is a huntsmen academy designed to train people to fight the Grimm. Not bad I guess,"_ Velvet thinks as she takes the scenery in.

The airship lands on one of the landing pads in front of the school and the occupants exit the vehicle.

"Follow me. The headmaster is waiting for us in his office," Glynda says and leads the group to Beacon Tower.

A few minutes later, the group enter an elevator and Goodwitch sets it to take them to the top floor where Ozpin's office is located. When the elevator reaches the top floor, everyone exits it and enters Ozpin's office. In front of them, Ozpin is sitting behind his desk.

"Welcome back everyone. It's good to see you all came back safe and sound. And you have brought our guest with you," Ozpin greets them.

"You're the headmaster I presume?" Velvet asks.

"Yes, I am Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy. And you are?" he asks her.

"…Velvet. Velvet Crowe," she replies.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Velvet Crowe. We caught you on one of our security cameras in the Emerald Forest, so I sent Professor Goodwitch and Team RWBY to rescue you and bring you back here," he explains.

"Well, I didn't really need any saving. I can take care of myself," Velvet replies, left hand on her hip.

"Of that I have no doubt. Ruby," Ozpin gets the scythe-wielder's attention. "Thank you for you and your team's efforts in this. I suggest the four of you return to your room and get some rest. Because of this, and with how late it is, I am also exempting your team from classes tomorrow. You earned it," he says.

The four girls are happy to hear this, "Thank you professor. But, what about Velvet?" Ruby asks.

"Miss Crowe and I have some things to discuss. Don't worry," he replies.

Ruby looks at Velvet for a moment, and Velvet looks back.

"I'll be fine. Go on," she says.

"Okay. Goodnight Professor Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch, Velvet," Ruby says and the four girls enter the elevator and return to their dorm room.

"Now then…" Ozpin begins as Velvet looks back at him and Glynda stands beside him. "I have several questions, the first being what you were really doing in the Emerald Forest? I highly doubt someone would just be passing through a heavily Grimm infested area such as that," Ozpin asks.

 _"Looks like he won't be so easily fooled, but I have no reason to trust him, for now at least,"_ Velvet thinks to herself. "My reasons for being there are my own. I'm sure even you can understand that I can't just simply trust someone I've just met and tell them my life's story," Velvet replies.

"Understandable, though that does make this a bit more difficult. Second question, where did you learn to do this?" Ozpin asks as he shows her video footage of her fight with the Beowolves.

Velvet thinks for a moment, "…Self-taught. Where I came from, people like me had to fight to survive every day," Velvet answers him.

"People like you? Meaning…," Glynda inquires.

"People like me who weren't born into high society or had an easy life and had to struggle just to survive," Velvet says while narrowing her eyes at them.

"I see. A delicate subject then. Another question regarding your…ability," Ozpin starts as he shows more footage, this time of Velvet using her demon arm and the fire arte attack. "I take it this was your semblance?" he asks.

 _"Semblances are special abilities unique to each huntsmen or huntress, with very few exceptions. Guess it would be best if they think my 'curse" is my semblance for now,"_ she surmises. "Yes, that was my semblance. It's why I wear the bandages on my left arm. I can create a werewolf arm of sorts and use it as a weapon. When I focus my energy, I can even perform a fire attack like the one in the video, but that's about it," Velvet says.

"An impressive ability, I must say. Next question, do you have anywhere to stay right now?" Ozpin asks.

"Not really, I was planning on winging it," Velvet says, shrugging her shoulders.

"I see. Last question: do you want to become a student here at my academy?" he asks.

This makes both Glynda and Velvet look at him as if he grew a second head.

"…You're joking, right?" Velvet asks, bewildered.

"Professor Ozpin you can't be serious," Glynda interjects.

"Oh, I'm quite serious. I will be honest, I can't just let skills such as yours go to waste. I would also like to help you if I can. I can tell you have been through a lot in your life and I believe that enrolling as a student here could help with that. What do you think?" he explains.

"Heh, all I heard was that you wanted to use my abilities for your own purposes. Someone I once knew tried that before, to use me as their pawn, against my will…it didn't end well for him," Velvet replies, thinking of Artorius.

"That is why I am offering you a choice. You can accept my offer or not. I will respect your decision, whatever it might be. But I ask that before you make your decision, think about this. You have been living a hard life for so long. Do you want other people who can't defend themselves to go through that same misery because of the Grimm? Or would you rather be there to protect them, so they can live peaceful lives…and gain some sense of peace for yourself in the process?" he questions her.

Velvet thinks for a moment, _"Well, I know for a fact that this guy isn't showing every card in his hand. However, taking the deal would give me a place to stay for a awhile, and get me closer to Ruby…Well, it isn't the worst situation I've been in,"_ she thinks and looks back at Ozpin. "Alright, I accept your offer. Just no funny business, okay?" she says.

"Thank you. I promise you won't regret it. Now I need to explain some things. First, every new student has to go through an initiation test before being enrolled here at Beacon. It has only been a week since the semester began, so having one late initiation for you won't be too peculiar for the students here. Second, students here are placed into teams of four, such as Team RWBY whom you met earlier. However, you will be placed in a team that's already been formed as its fifth member. Quick question, how old are you?" he asks.

"I'm nineteen," Velvet answers.

"That shouldn't be too difficult. Usually new students are seventeen years-old when they first come here. However, there are a few exceptions. The leader of Team RWBY, Ruby Rose, actually got in two years early for her exceptional skills with a scythe, for example. I'll inform the teachers here that if anyone asks, you were accepted two years ago, but had to leave for some time due to a situation with your family and have just returned to properly begin your education. When you pass the initiation, and I've no doubt you will, we will provide you with a school uniform for your classes," he explains.

Already Velvet was not liking that idea, "A uniform? You can't be serious?" she asks.

"That is one of the rules here. Beside, you don't want to always walk around in that…unique attire of yours, do you?" he asks, gesturing to her torn clothing.

"Doesn't bother me. Besides, I think I'd rather wear this than a uniform," she says, motioning to her attire.

"Maybe so, but it is school policy. Besides, you don't want to have any of the students here getting the wrong idea about you, do you," he asks.

Velvet looks away for a moment, "…Okay, so maybe you have a point there," she concedes.

"Well that takes care of that. Now, I'll have Professor Goodwitch provide you with some spare clothes tomorrow after your initiation. For now, she will escort you to one of the dorm rooms here to rest. All rooms are unfortunately occupied, so we'll have you stay with Team RWBY since they've already met you. Does that sound alright?" he asks.

"That's fine. Thank you," she says.

"Very good. Then I will see you tomorrow for your initiation. Glynda will come for you tomorrow morning at 9:00. Be ready. Have a good night, Velvet," he bids her goodnight.

"Goodnight professor," Velvet replies and she and Goodwitch leave his office.

When they are gone, Ozpin spins in his chair to look out his window, "Looks like this year really will be interesting…"

…

Shortly after that, Goodwitch and Velvet are walking through the dorm halls, on their way to Team RWBY's room.

"Most rooms only have four beds, so you'll have to figure out sleeping arrangements amongst yourselves. After you have been placed with a team, I'll see about getting a fifth bed for you," She explains.

"Thanks," Velvet replies as they near Team RWBY's dorm.

"This is Team RWBY's dorm here," Glynda says and knocks on the door.

Noises can be heard and a moment later, Weiss opens the door, looking mad.

"Now what is it?!" She yells, but immediately regrets the action as she sees Goodwitch in front of her again. "Oh, um, Professor Goodwitch. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you," she quickly apologizes.

"It's alright, Miss Schnee. I know it has been a long night for you and your team, so I'll make this quick. Miss Crowe here has been accepted as a student here and will be going through an initiation test tomorrow morning. You are the only people here she really knows, so she'll be staying with you for the night," Goodwitch explains.

"Wait, SHE'S a student here now?!" Weiss asks, flabbergasted while pointing at Velvet.

"We've discussed this with Professor Ozpin, and this is the conclusion. Do NOT make a big deal out of it. I mean, after all, your leader was accepted in a similar manner, and you have no problem with that. Right?" Glynda asks sternly, narrowing her eyes at Weiss.

Weiss quickly back-peddles, "O-of course. I apologize, Professor Goodwitch," she apologizes.

"Not to me, Miss Schnee. To Miss Crowe," Goodwitch inclines her head to Velvet.

Weiss looks at Velvet and takes a deep breath, "I…apologize for my rudeness, Miss Crowe. I will try to be more polite in the future," She says.

"Just Velvet is fine. And I'm used to people looking down on me. I'm over it," she says, getting both women's attention.

"I-I see. Well, come in and we'll figure out your sleeping arrangements. Goodnight, Professor Goodwitch," Weiss says.

"Goodnight Miss Schnee, Miss Crowe," Glynda nods to both of them before leaving for the night.

Weiss moves and allows Velvet to walk into the dorm room. Immediately, she notices how the beds are set up. On the right side of the room, one bed is suspended over another by some ropes attached to the ceiling, while on the left side, one bed is stacked on another, with books set in between the bed posts of the two. Velvet raises an eyebrow, and looks at Weiss who walks up next to her. Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Weiss just shrugs her shoulders. The rest of the team get out of their beds to welcome their guest.

"Hi Velvet. What are you doing here so late?" Ruby asks.

"Well, starting tomorrow I'm a new student here," she says.

This gets everyone, other than Weiss', attention.

"Ozpin accepted you here? Just like that?" Yang asks.

"Well, I have an initiation tomorrow morning, so he's letting me crash in your room for the night since I don't know anyone else or have anywhere else to go," Velvet explains.

"Oh, that's so cool! You got admitted. Professor Ozpin must have been impressed with you. And you're staying in our room for tonight. That's even better," Ruby squeals.

"Ruby, come on, we need to figure out where she's going to sleep for tonight. There's only four beds and five of us," Weiss reminds her.

"Oh right, so about we…" Ruby begins, finger on her chin as she thinks.

"I'll sleep on the floor," Velvet answers for her and walks over to one corner of the room near Blake's bed.

"What? You don't have to do that," Ruby says.

"I'm used to it. Goodnight," Velvet says as she lies down on the floor, back turned to them, leaving no room for argument.

Seeing that she won't change her mind, the team relents and head back to their beds. However, Ruby instead gets some spare bed sheets and an extra pillow and brings them to Velvet. Feeling someone behind her, Velvet looks over her shoulder to see Ruby with the bed sheets and pillow.

"What?" she asks.

"These are for you. Even if you sleep on the floor, I won't have you sleep without a pillow and a blanket. So take them, and I won't accept 'no' for an answer," Ruby says, being stubborn.

Seeing no way out of it, Velvet sighs and accepts the sheets and pillow and gets situated while Ruby smiles before returning to her bed. However, before she can jump up into her bed, Velvet stops her.

"Hey Ruby," she says, getting her attention. "…Thanks. And goodnight," she says without looking at her.

Ruby smiles at this, "Sure thing. Goodnight Velvet," Ruby replies and get into her bed.

When she felt Ruby had fallen asleep, Velvet looks over at her one more time before turning back over and closing her eyes.

 _"I'm not sure if I'm up to the task, but I said I would protect her…And that's what I'm going to do,"_ Velvet thinks before falling asleep.

* * *

 **Please Read and Review.**


	4. Chapter 4: Initiation

**I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Initiation**

It is early in the morning and Velvet is the first to wake up from her sleep. Sitting up she stretches her limbs before standing up and folding the bed sheets Ruby gave her. After that, she looked at the clock and saw that it was only 7:00 in the morning.

 _"Well, might as well get some breakfast. Wait, where do you get food around here?"_ she wonders. She looks around before her eyes fall on Ruby's bunk. _"Should I wake her and ask?_ Velvet thinks as she walks up to Ruby's bed to see the scythe wielder sleeping peacefully. _"No, I should let her sleep,"_ she decides as she gazes at her a moment longer.

Unbeknownst to her, Blake was already awake, watching her from her bed. She watches as Velvet looks at Ruby. When Velvet turns around, she notices Blake staring at her, but if she was surprised, she didn't show it.

"Good morning, Velvet," Blake whispers as she sits up.

"Morning, Blake. You wouldn't happen to know where to get some food around here would you?" she asks.

"There's the school's cafeteria. You want me to show you where it is?" she asks.

"That would be nice," Velvet replies.

"Alright. Just give me a minute to get changed and I'll show you. I'm a little hungry myself anyway," Blake says.

"Thanks," Velvet says.

Blake gets up, grabs her clothes, and enters the bathroom to get changed. While she's getting changed, a sudden thought occurs to Velvet.

 _"Oh yeah, I forgot that I can't taste food because of my curse. Well, since Grimm aren't demons and they dissipate into smoke when they die, I can't eat them. And it would be weird if I don't eat regular food here. Guess I'll just have to get use to eating tasteless food for a while,"_ Velvet thinks.

Blake comes out a moment later in her regular attire and the two head out to the cafeteria for breakfast. The walk is quiet since the two made no attempt at conversation, which wasn't really a problem since both girls weren't that very talkative. A few minutes later, they enter the cafeteria and grab two trays for their food. Blake grabs some tea and waffles with butter while Velvet gets orange juice and some bacon and eggs. Finding a spot to eat isn't difficult since the cafeteria is mostly vacant except for a few students. The two girls find a spot to sit down and Blake begins eating her food. However, Velvet is more hesitant, which Blake notices.

"Aren't you gonna eat? You did ask about food earlier," Blake asks.

"Y-yeah, I am…It's just been a while since I've eaten normal food," Velvet lies. _"Well, might as well get it over with,"_ Velvet concedes and uses her fork to grab some bacon. Velvet takes a bite, and her eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. _"I…I can taste it. I can taste the bacon. But how? I could only taste the blood of the demons I ate before and that was all,"_ Velvet wonders how this is possible and shortly one theory comes to mind. _"Did…did that woman have something to do with this…Well, even if she did, I can't say I'm complaining now that I can tastes real food again,"_ Velvet concludes before she starts eating her food with more vigor.

Blake raises an eyebrow at Velvet, "You must really haven't had regular food in a while if this is your reaction to regular bacon and eggs. How long has it been exactly?" she asks.

Velvet stops and looks at her, "A…a long time I guess. I've been traveling through the wilderness for a while now and had to live off the land to survive," Velvet replies.

"I see. Must've been rough," Blake says as she sip her tea.

"You have no idea," Velvet mutters before they finish their breakfast.

After finishing their breakfast, the two walk back to Blake's dorm, making mild small talk along the way. Once they reach the dorm, they notice Professor Goodwitch walking towards their dorm from the opposite direction. Goodwitch notices them and meets them in front of the dorm.

"Good morning, Miss Belladonna. Miss Crowe," Goodwitch greets them.

"Good morning Professor Goodwitch. Did you come to speak with Velvet?" Blake asks.

"Yes, I need to discuss something with her before she begins her initiation. Also, Professor Ozpin wants your team, along with the rest of the first year teams to come to the amphitheater to watch it take place," Goodwitch explains.

"Okay, I'll let them know," Blake turns to Velvet. "Good luck in your initiation. We'll be cheering for you," Blake says and enters her dorm.

"Alright, let's go," Goodwitch says, to which Velvet nods, and they leave as well.

…

A short while later, the two are outside and on their way to the cliffs overlooking the Emerald Forest.

"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Velvet asks.

Goodwitch turns to face her, "I need to ask you if your aura has been unlocked yet," she explains.

 _"Aura, a manifestation of one's soul. It acts like a shield, but loses strength as you take more damage. I guess that would be a no for me since that wasn't possible back in my world,"_ Velvet mentally notes. "Uh, no I guess not," she shrugs her shoulders.

"I see. Makes it all the more surprising that you took down over two dozen Beowolves, by yourself, and without your aura unlocked. If that's the case, then before you can begin the initiation, we'll have to unlock your aura. I can do that myself right now if you wish," Goodwitch offers.

 _"Well, it would provide me with extra protection when I fight. I just hope this works for a demon like me,"_ Velvet thinks. "Alright, let's get this over with," she says, waving her right hand around.

"Good. Now, I need you to close your eyes and concentrate," Glynda instructs her. Velvet does as she is asked and closes her eyes. Goodwitch then places her hand on Velvet's chest, closes her own eyes as she focuses her aura and then opens them wide. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee," she mutters as Velvet's body glows with her aura being unlocked.

Goodwitch removes her hand and hunches over in exhaustion.

"Are you alright?" she asks, showing a little concern.

"I'm fine. I merely used my own aura to unlock yours. However, now the power that protects you is your own. But you must remember to always be careful when you're fighting. Your aura will not always be enough to keep you alive," she says as she stands up straight again.

Velvet raises her hands and sees a faint dark red glow emit from them.

"Interesting," she mutters. _"I guess maybe I do still have a soul,"_ she thinks to herself.

"Looks like you have quite the large amount of aura in you. That's quite uncommon. Well then, enough about that. Let's head to the cliffs. Professor Ozpin is waiting for us there," she says.

A few minutes later, they see Ozpin standing by the edge of the cliff, with his cane and his coffee mug in hand. Velvet takes notice of several pads with the Beacon Academy logo on the ground in front of him. Velvet steps onto one of the pedestals while Goodwitch tales her place beside Ozpin.

"Good morning, Velvet. I hope you've had a pleasant morning so far," he greets her.

"Eh, nothing too special. So this is where I'm supposed to have my initiation?" she asks, hand on her left hip without much of a care in the world.

"Yes. Your mission is to reach an abandoned temple in the forest and retrieve a relic located there. After you retrieve the relic, you are to return here with it. Guard it at all times. The Emerald Forest is full of Grimm, so do not hesitate to destroy anything that gets in your way…or you'll die," he explains is if that wasn't a bad thing.

"Gee, is that all? Shouldn't be too hard," Velvet says nonchalantly.

"Well, you'll find out soon enough. Also, you should come up with a good landing strategy quickly before you land in the forest below," he says.

"Landing strategy? What do you mean by that?" she asks, confused. A clicking sound is suddenly heard beneath her feet and she looks down. Her eyes go wide as she realizes what he meant. "Oh, you conniving, little-," she couldn't finish as she is suddenly launched into the air.

Ozpin watches on while sipping his coffee, "Ah, that never gets old," he says with a smile on his face.

…

Meanwhile, all the first year teams were in the amphitheater, watching Velvet get launched into the air for her initiation. Team RWBY sat up front along with their friends and fellow team, Team JNPR.

"I'm pretty sure Professor Ozpin likes shooting people into the air like that," JNPR leader Jaune Arc says nervously.

"You think?" Yang flatly replies.

"I hope Velvet will be alright," Ruby mutters, concerned.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Pyrrha Nikos assures her as they all look back to the screen.

…

Velvet flies through the air and starts falling towards the forest floor.

"Gotta think fast!" Velvet says. As she approaches the tree line, Velvet activates her demon arm and imbeds its claws into the side of a tree and twists around the tree before jumping off to land on the ground with a roll. "I find it hard to believe that that crazy old fart is the headmaster if this is how he treats his students before they even become his students," Velvet mutters.

She retracts her demon arm and starts heading towards the old temple.

…

Back at the school, the audience are in shock a little bit at seeing Velvet's demon arm.

"What was that? Was that her semblance?" Weiss asks, eyes wide.

"It could be, but I've never seen a semblance like that before," Blake says. Equally shocked.

"Wow! That was awesome! It's like she has a sloth arm of death!" Nora shouts, having a different opinion.

"Nora, I hardly believe that was a sloth's arm," Ren tries to calm her down.

"Woah," Ruby mutters, amazed at Velvet's ability.

…

Velvet continues her trek through the forest, searching for the temple.

 _"Pretty quiet out here…That's never a good sign,"_ she thinks as she looks around.

Her instincts prove right as a few minutes later, three Ursai appear from behind the trees and stop her advance. Velvet brings out her arm blade and lowers her stance, preparing to fight. All three Ursai charge at her, and Velvet jumps over them while landing on the back of the one in the center. She swings her blade and slices the Grimm's head off before jumping off as the second one takes a swipe at her with its claws. Velvet lands on the ground and runs at them. The second Ursa runs at her was well and jumps at her when it gets close. Velvet ducks and slides under it while slashing its body down the middle through the slide, killing it. After she stops, Velvet jumps up and kicks the third Ursa in the face, staggering it and then thrusts her blade into its skull. Velvet pulls out her blade and the dead Ursa falls to the ground, evaporating into smoke. With the battle over, Velvet retracts her blade and moves onward.

…

Back at the amphitheater, the crowd continues to watch Velvet's initiation.

Yang whistles, "Not bad. I'm starting to see why the headmaster accepted her," she says.

"She's definitely got some experience with fighting. That, I am sure of," Pyrrha notes.

"You can do it, Velvet," Ruby cheers her on, pumping her fists in the air.

…

After traversing through the forest for a while, Velvet finally makes it to the clearing where the abandoned temple is located. Velvet looks around to check for any more Grimm. Seeing no signs of them, Velvet moves towards the temple and reaches the center. There, she sees chess pieces laid out on the pedestals.

"Guess these must be the 'relics' Ozpin told me about. But chess pieces, huh? Someone has a twisted sense of humor. Better pick one and head back then," she says.

Velvet looks through the pieces and eventually decides on a white knight piece. After choosing her relic. Velvet prepares to head back, but then hears a loud screeching noise from the tree line. Looking to her right, she sees trees moving…meaning something big is coming. A moment later, a large Deathstalker breaks through the tree line, screeching as its eyes lock on to Velvet.

Velvet's eyes widen for a moment, "That might be a little too much to handle on my own. Luckily, I only needed to get the relic and head back. No point in fighting this thing now," Velvet concludes before she starts running towards the cliffs.

The Deathstalker gives chase. Velvet runs through the forest, using the trees to help slow it down as she tries to escape. The tree manage to slow it down, but only a little as Velvet continues to run towards the cliffs. A few minutes later, Velvet exits the forest and races towards the cliffs, passing by some old ruins along the way. She sees some ruins ahead of her and races towards it. However, she quickly stops as she reaches the edge of the cliff to see a destroyed bridge, with the ruins standing in the center of the canyon, and the cliffs on the other side. Velvet looks around, trying to find a way across, but to no avail. She turns around as she sees the Deathstalker come out from the trees, coming towards her. With no way out, Velvet has no choice but to fight.

…

On top of the cliffs, Goodwitch immediately becomes worried as she watches on her scroll the situation below, while Ozpin remains as calm as ever.

"Ozpin, we have to stop this. She can't possibly be able to defeat a Deathstalker all on her own!" Glynda exclaims.

"We cannot interfere, Glynda. This is her test. Besides, I have faith that she will prevail. All we can do now is watch…and hope," Ozpin replies.

Glynda grits her teeth in frustration as she watches on.

…

Back at the school, most of the people in the amphitheater become worried at the scene in front of them.

"How is she supposed to defeat a Deathstalker by herself? When we fought it, it was the four of us, and even then, we almost died," Jaune says, worried.

"Come on, we can't count her out just yet, can we?" Yang says, trying to stay positive.

"I honestly don't know if she can Yang," Blake replies.

"Oh well, so much for the newbie," a new voice is heard.

The two teams look back to see a tall guy with orange hair and a smug look on his face; Cardin Winchester and his team, Team CRDL.

Immediately, they all get a little agitated, with Yang being the angriest at him.

"What's that supposed to mean, Cardin?" Yang asks, growling as she said it.

"Exactly what I said. She's gonna fight a Deathstalker on her own, so it's easy to see that she's going to die. Fight s like that should be left up to real warriors, like me," he smugly replies.

"Oh please, you've never even fought against a Deathstalker yourself, or with your team, so you have no room to talk," Blake retorts, getting aggravated.

"I don't need to. I'm already a student here, in case you haven't noticed. It's too bad that that girl's gonna die, really. A smoking hot body like that would've been real fun to try out," Cardin says, with his teammates laughing behind him.

It quickly gets hot in the amphitheater as everyone looks at Yang, with her hair on fire and her eyes red. Yang rushes Cardin and blindsides him with a punch to his face that sends him flying into his teammates behind him, sending them all to the ground. They all groan in pain and look up in fear to see Yang standing over them.

"One: woman aren't your playthings, Cardin. Two: Don't count Velvet out just yet. She'll make it out alive, one way or the other. And three: the next time so say something like that and I'm around…I'll burn 'it' off myself. Got it?!" Yang threatens him, flames burning hotter. The four idiots quickly nod their heads. "Good, now sit down and shut up!" she yells and walks back to her team as she calms down. "She WILL make it out of this, right?" she asks, losing some of her confidence earlier.

"I honestly don't know Yang. I just don't know," Weiss replies as they all look back.

Ruby has her hands clasped in front of her chest, "Velvet…" she mutters.

…

Velvet gets ready as the Deathstalker comes at her. It attacks with its right pincer first, which Velvet ducks under, and then attacks with its left pincer, making Velvet jump back. Velvet engages her arm blade and jumps over the pincers to strike at the Grimm's head. However, her attack bounces off the Grimm's thick armored skull. Velvet jumps back as the Grimm attacks with its pincers again. She rolls to its left side and tries to attack from a different angle, but the Deathstalker swings its left pincer around, making Velvet jump and spin over the pincer to land on its back. Velvet tries to break through the armor with her arm blade, but her weapon can't pierce the armor. The Deathstalker shakes its body to get Velvet off its back. Velvet jumps off to land in front of it again, and the Deathstalker thrusts its stinger at her. Velvet jumps to the left and jumps at it again, this time using her right foot blade. Unfortunately, the Grimm blocked her attack and then swipes at her with its right pincer, knocking her to the ground. As she gets up, the Deathstalker slams its skull into her, sending her rolling towards the edge of the cliff. Velvet quickly gets up and looks over to see the sheer drop behind her. Velvet then looks back at the Deathstalker, which runs at her again.

Trying a different approach, Velvet jumps over the Grimm's pincers again, lands on its head and starts swinging her blades at one point on its skull to try to break through its armor. However, the Grimm attacks with its stinger again. Velvet jumps off its head, but gets knocked back onto the ground by its left pincer. As Velvet struggles to get up, the Deathstalker closes in on her, ready to finish the job. Velvet looks up as the Grimm readies its stinger for the final strike.

" _Is this the end for me? To be defeated by an overgrown bug like this? Before I could really do anything in this world?"_ Velvet thinks as she closes her eyes.

…

Team RWBY look in on horror as it looks like Velvet is about to be killed. Ruby even starts shedding a few tears.

"No, it can't end like this. We were just beginning to become friends. It can't end like this…Velvet…Velvet," Ruby mutters, and then… "VELVET!" she screams.

…

The Grimm launches its stinger at Velvet, just as the image of Ruby enters her mind.

 _"No…"_

The Deathstalker is suddenly knocked back as Velvet activates her demon arm to push it back. Velvet stands up as energy builds around her demon arm.

"No…I won't die yet. Not when I have this second chance…And not when I have something important I need to do. You overgrown cockroach. It's time you find out just who you're dealing with," Velvet says, narrowing her eyes.

Velvet releases her fire arte attack at the Grimm, knocking it up of its front legs. Velvet Jumps up and grabs the underside of its skull, sending it falling onto its back. With the Grimm immobilized, Velvet heats up her demon claw, screaming, and starts burning through its skull with her fire arte. Eventually, the armor starts to crack from the heat, and Velvet raises her claw, clenching it with fire around it, and then slams it through the Deathstalker's skull. The Grimm's body quickly stops squirming as it dies and dissipates into smoke. Velvet lands on her feet, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. With the battle over, Velvet looks up to see an airship fly in and land in front of her. The side opens up to reveal Ozpin and Glynda inside, the former with a calm smile, and the latter sighing in relief. Velvet walks to them and gets in the airship before it takes off to take them back to the school.

"Well done, Velvet Crowe. I must say that was truly an impressive display," Ozpin praises her.

"Yes, it was. But honestly, I'm just glad you're alive," Glynda adds.

Velvet just allows a small smile on her face as the airship returns to the school.

…

Back in the amphitheater, everyone is cheering at Velvet passing her initiation, with many as shocked as they were excited.

"That. Was. AWESOME!" Yang yells, pumping her fists. "She totally burned right through that Deathstalker like it was made of paper. I really hope she gets placed on our team," she cheers.

"I agree. That was incredible. She managed to defeat a Deathstalker on her own. I don't think I've ever heard of something like this happening before," Pyrrha adds.

"Oh, I hope she joins our team! Think of all the fun we'll have. Right, Ren?" Nora asks excitedly.

"While I think she would be a great teammate, I'm not sure that sounds like a good idea, Nora," Ren says.

Everyone talk about how they think of Velvet's display, but Ruby is the only one who says nothing, just keeping her focus on the screen with the airship.

 _"Thank goodness she's okay,"_ she thinks while wiping her tears away.

* * *

 **Please Read and Review.**


	5. Chapter 5: A New Teammate

**I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 4. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: A New Teammate**

Everyone waits in the amphitheater for Ozpin's group to enter the stage. Soon, Professor Ozpin, Goodwitch, and Velvet enter the amphitheater and Velvet is greeted by a cheering crowd. As they walk through the crowd, Velvet notices Team RWBY up front, waving at her. Velvet shows a small smile to them as she passes them and the three take the stage. Once on stage, Ozpin steps up to a microphone, with Glynda behind him, and Velvet standing off to the side.

"First, I would like to congratulate Velvet Crowe for passing her initiation exam and becoming a full-fledged student here at Beacon Academy," Ozpin begins while looking at Velvet before turning back to the crowd. "With this, she becomes a first year student at this school. Normally, new students are placed into teams of four, however, due to the special circumstances in this case, Velvet Crowe will be placed with a team already formed as its fifth member. Velvet Crowe, step forward," he says and Velvet steps closer to him. "Each of the possible relics you could've chosen have already been chosen by first-year teams during their initiation, so I decided that whichever relic you chose, you would be assigned to the team that chose the same chess pieces. Since you chose the white knight piece, I hereby place you with…Team RWBY as its fifth member. Congratulations," Ozpin says and everyone claps for her.

Team RWBY become ecstatic that Velvet joins their team, if Ruby's crazed jumping and Yang's fist pumping are any indication. Velvet looks back at Team RWBY.

 _"Well, at least I'll be with people I already know,"_ Velvet notes.

…

After the ceremony had ended, everyone went back to their daily activities, including the new Team RVWBY heading back to their dorm room.

"Oh, I'm so glad you get to be on our team. This is going to be awesome!" Ruby cheers.

"Yeah, and after seeing you fight, we know that you're no slouch when it comes to fighting. Hopefully you and I can spar sometime in the training rooms here," Yang adds.

"You sure you're not afraid that I'll kick your butt," Velvet taunts as she glances at Yang.

"Oh ho, now you're talking. When we get the chance, you're on," Yang accepts the challenge.

Eventually, the five reach their room and enter with Ruby and Weiss sitting on the latter's bed while Blake, Yang, and Velvet sit on Blake's bed.

"I must admit, it feels a little weird," Weiss confesses.

"What is?" Ruby asks.

"Well, that we are the only team with five members, with one of them being two years younger than us and the other being two years older than us," Weiss answers.

"Yeah, I admit I am curious. Why didn't you apply to Beacon two years earlier when you were seventeen?" Blake asks.

 _"Good thing Ozpin helped me come up with a cover story. Better stick with it for now,"_ Velvet decides. "I actually did apply two years ago and I got accepted. However, some…family trouble forced me to leave before I could even start school, and it has kept me busy for a while. I've only recently been able to come back and start my education," Velvet explains.

"What kind of family trouble?" Yang asks.

Velvet becomes hesitant, "I…don't really feel comfortable talking about it right now…I'm sorry," Velvet replies.

"I see. Sorry about bringing it up," Yang apologizes.

"Look, let's not try to get Velvet's life story right now. She JUST became a part of our team. Let's take it slow for now, okay?" Ruby asks.

"That would be nice. Thank you," Velvet replies, and a moment later, her stomach growls, causing her to look away with a slight blush on her cheeks while the rest of the team giggle at her expense. "How about we get something to eat? All that fighting has made me hungry," Velvet says, here blush disappearing.

"Sounds good to me," Yang says and they leave to head to the cafeteria.

They arrive shortly after leaving their dorm, seeing more people in the cafeteria this time. The girls each grab some food, with Weiss getting a salad, Blake getting some tuna, Yang gets a steak dish, Ruby has cake and cookies, and Velvet tries some pasta. As they look for a place to eat, they see Team JNPR waving them over to their table. Team RVWBY joins them, with Yang and Ruby on Velvet's right and Weiss and Blake on her left.

"Velvet, these are our friends, Team JNPR," Ruby introduces them.

"Hi, I'm the leader of Team JNPR. The name's Jaune Arc, short sweet rolls off the tongue, and the ladies love it," Jaune says, trying to act cool.

Velvet gives him a deadpanned look, "I doubt it," she replies.

Jaune gets nervous, "Heh-heh, anyway, this is Pyrrha Nikos," he motions to Pyrrha.

"Hello," she politely greets her.

"Lie Ren," he introduces Ren next.

"Pleasure to meet you," Ren calmly nods his head.

"And Nora Valkyrie," Jaune finishes.

Nora immediately gets in Velvet's face, "Hi, I'm Nora. It's nice to meet you! How'd you do that giant red arm thingy? Was that your semblance? Where are you from? Are there any sloths where you come? Do like pancakes? I bet I can eat more pancakes than you!" Nora fires off every sentence so quickly that Velvet doesn't understand a single word.

"…Huh?" Velvet responds, confused.

Ren grabs Nora by her shirt to sit her back down in her seat.

"I apologize about that. Nora is very hyperactive and gets really excited when she sees something she thinks is cool. Nora, calm down," Ren stoically apologizes while calming Nora down.

"Um, it's fine…I think," Velvet mutters the last part.

"So, anyway, congratulations on joining Team RVWBY. I hope we can become great friends," Pyrrha says.

"Right…Friends," Velvet looks down. _"…I wonder how everyone is doing back in my world? I'm sure their okay…But I guess I do miss them,"_ Velvet ponders.

Everyone notices Velvet's solemn expression.

"Velvet, are you alright?" Ruby asks, concerned.

This gets Velvet out of her stupor, "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about some stuff…Anyway, let's eat. I'm hungry," Velvet tries to change the subject and starts eating her food.

Seeing that she was done talking on the subject, the others decide to give her some space and eat their meals, although they do make some mild conversation during their dinner to help past the time. After they eat, the two teams return to their dorms and Velvet notices how Team JNPR's dorm is right across the hall from theirs.

"Our dorm is right next door. So, if you ever need help with anything and your team's not here, or you want to hang out with us, we're right across the hall," Jaune says.

"I see. Thanks," Velvet replies.

"No problem. Well, goodnight," Jaune says and he and his team enter their dorm room.

With Team JNPR gone, Team RVWBY enter their room and quickly notice the fifth bed placed in one corner of their dorm room, replacing a desk and sitting on Ruby/Weiss' side of the dorm.

"Nice, they already got your bed set up. Now you don't have to sleep on the floor," Yang notes.

Velvet sits on her new bed to test it out and quickly gets used to the soft feel of the mattress as she lies back on it.

"Gotta admit, I could get used to this," Velvet says.

"Well, we should get changed and get ready to head in soon. We have classes tomorrow. Velvet, what classes do you have?" Weiss asks as she opens a desk to pull out her nightgown.

This makes Velvet sit up with realization, "Actually, I have no idea what classes I'm taking. And aren't there uniforms the students have to where here because I don't have that either," Velvet says.

A second later, a knock is heard on their door. Blake goes to open it up to reveal Professor Goodwitch on the other side, carrying some clothes , a bag with some supplies, and a piece of paper in her hands.

"Good evening ladies. I came to deliver some things to Miss Crowe," Glynda says and Blake steps aside to allow her entrance. Glynda walks up to Velvet and hands her the items. "The document contains your list of classes and the information related to them. The bag contains things such as toiletries and school supplies for you. For clothes, I brought you your school uniform and a couple sets of pajama clothes, though those are just black t-shirts with red short shorts and underwear for you. I would like for you to get changed now to see if they fit," Glynda explains.

"Um, alright," Velvet says and takes a pair of pajama clothes and heads into the bathroom to get changed. A moment later, she comes out wearing her new clothes, which look perfect on her. "Well, at least they fit," Velvet says.

"Good. Now, I need you to give me your torn clothing," Glynda asks.

"What for? You're not going to throw them away, are you? To be honest, I've grown attached to them," Velvet asks.

"No, I'm going to have them repaired for you. Just wear your uniform until I return with them. It shouldn't take too long," Glynda replies.

"Oh, okay then," Velvet says and hands over her old clothing.

Glynda then gives her some lien, "This is some lien for you to use in case you need it. Make sure to spend it wisely," Glynda reminds her.

"Of course," Velvet says.

"Good. Well goodnight Miss Crowe. Ladies," Glynda bids them goodnight and leaves the room.

"Well, that takes care of that problem," Ruby says.

"Very. Well, we should finish getting ready to head in," Weiss notes.

All the girls nod in agreement and each take their turn in the bathroom. After they all finish, the girls head to their beds and get ready to go to sleep.

"Goodnight everyone," Ruby says.

"Goodnight," they all reply and drift off to sleep.

…

During the night, while Velvet slept, she suddenly opened her eyes and found herself in a white void again She looks around to find that it is just her in this blank expanse.

"We meet again, Velvet Crowe," she hears behind her and turns around to find the woman with the white cloak standing behind her.

"You again, huh? Is this going to be a regular thing?" Velvet deadpans.

"No, not really. I just came to see how you were doing in my world. Have you met my daughter yet?" she asks.

"You mean Ruby? Yeah, I met her…Though I'm sure you already knew that by now," Velvet replies.

"I see not much gets by you. That's good to know," the woman replies, smiling.

"Yeah, like how I could suddenly taste food again. Did you have something to do with that?" Velvet questions her.

"Basically, yes," the woman shrugs her shoulders.

"Why?" Velvet counters.

"I am well aware that back in your world, you could only taste the blood of the demons you ate. However, that will not work with the Grimm. They are creatures without a soul, completely filled with emptiness and nothingness. And of course, the fact that they turn into smoke when they die prevents you from eating them. So let's just say I tweaked a few things to solve that little problem," the woman explains.

Velvet becomes suspicious from this, "…Again. Why?" she reiterates.

The woman walks closer to Velvet, "Because you have been through much pain in your world. Even if you had friends who helped with that pain, you still felt much pain. You will also feel pain in this world as well…But that doesn't mean you can't find some form of happiness here, no matter how small. I'm not saying this is the only happiness you'll find, but I wanted to help you in some way. It was the least I could do after asking you to leave your world and your friends behind," the woman says.

This gets Velvet thinking about some things, including one in particular.

"And my friends back home. How are they doing?" she asks.

"They are quite well. Thanks to you, they are living their lives according to their own beliefs and walking down their own paths towards a better tomorrow. Take some solace in knowing that," the woman clams her worries.

Velvet feels relieved at hearing this, "That's good to hear. Thank you."

The woman nods, "I have to go now. But, we may see each other again in the future. So, until then, keep living your life here, and keep being there for my daughter," she says as things start to fade away.

"Of course. I did agree to protect her after all," Velvet says.

"Don't worry. You'll come to like her. Just you wait…" the woman says as everything disappears.

…

Velvet wakes up to find herself back in her bed, in her dorm, and it is still dark out. Velvet turns over to take a quick look at Ruby's bunk, hearing her snoring lightly. Seeing that everything is okay, Velvet goes back to sleep.

…

The next morning, the girls are getting ready for classes, and everything is going smoothly…Well…almost everything…

"No way! No way in Hell am I wearing this!" Velvet yells from inside the bathroom with the door closed.

"Ah, come on, Velvet. It's not that bad. It's just a school uniform. What seems to be the problem?" Yang says.

"This skirt is the problem!" Velvet yells back.

"Come on, Velvet. We all have to wear them. Besides, I'm sure you'll look fine in it. It's better than those torn clothes of yours when we first met," Weiss says, annoyed.

"Those, I had on due to circumstances at the time, and I got used to wearing them," Velvet replies.

"Velvet, it's not that bad. Just come out already. We have to get to class soon," Ruby reminds her.

Velvet groans, "Ugh…fine," she begrudgingly says and steps out, wearing the school uniform, along with her choker, bandages, and thigh-high black socks.

"Don't see what the problem is to me. You look nice, in my opinion," Blake says.

"Well, I feel like an idiot," Velvet retorts.

At this point, Ruby walks up to Velvet, "Come on Velvet, just go with it for now. Please…" and then Ruby uses the most diabolical weapon ever designed…her puppy-dog eyes.

Velvet tries to look away, but Ruby just inches closer, hands clasped in front of her, and even starts making some tears in the corners of her eyes.

 _"Oh, that is so not fair,"_ Velvet notes and eventually relents with a sigh. "Fine," she groans.

Ruby giggles at her victory and the group leave to head to class. A short walk later and they end up in Professor Port's class, taking their seats at the front with Velvet sitting on Ruby's left.

Ruby leans in to Velvet, "Word of warning. He spends most of his classes talking about stories about himself when he was younger. Unless it's something important or related to the class, you should be able to get away with tuning him out," Ruby whispers to her.

This makes Velvet raise her eyebrow in confusion. A moment later, Professor Peter Port enters the class.

"Good morning class. Today I would like to begin by first having our new classmate introduce herself to us. Miss Crowe, if you would," Port motions to Velvet.

Velvet looks around the class, and sees her teammates giving her their support before she decides to step up to the front of the class.

"Uh…hi, I'm Velvet Crowe…Nice to meet you," Velvet says blandly.

"Would you like to say anything else?" Port encourages her.

"…No," Velvet replies, already done with this.

"I…see. Very well, return to your seat and we can get started," Port says.

Velvet walks back to her seat and the class gets underway, if having the professor spend most of the class period telling stories about himself can be called that. Whatever he said that actually sounded important, Velvet wrote down, all the while feeling a little out of place. She couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable at doing something as normal as schoolwork, even if it was for a combat school. Spending a good part of her life fighting and eating demons, all while in the pursuit of revenge can do that to a person. However, there was something about this new life that felt…nice in a way, although she couldn't place it. The rest of class went off without much else and soon it ended. The team leaves and begins heading to their next class: Glynda's combat class.

They meet up with Team JNPR and take their seats in the stands of the room. Soon, they see Professor Goodwitch approach them from the arena floor.

"Good morning class. Today we will be having one-on-one sparing sessions between teammates. Most of you have seen your teammates in action during the initiation or have gotten to know your teammates during your short stay here at Beacon. If you are to perform better as a team, then you need to be more aware of each other's abilities. And sometimes, the best way to do that is to cross blades with one another in a match. So, we will have participants from the same team face off in a tournament-style match. Do we have any volunteers for the first match?" Goodwitch asks.

Yang quickly raises her hand, "I do!" she yells.

"Very well, we have Yang Xiao Long. Who do you choose as your opponent? Remember, it has to be someone from your team," Glynda says.

Yang grins and locks her eyes onto Velvet, "I choose Velvet. It's time we had that sparring matched you promised from before," Yang says, her confident smirk showing.

Velvet hums, "Hm. Alright. Just don't go crying to Ruby after I beat you," Velvet taunts her.

Both warriors leave to change into their combat attire. However, Velvet remembers that her combat clothes are with Goodwitch. When she enters the locker room in the back, she notices a pile of clothing on one bench with a note on top. She picks up the note and reads it.

" _From Professor Goodwitch: Miss Crowe, these are your clothes from when you first arrived here. I was able to repair most of them, however, I did not have enough fabric to repair your cloak so it is still a little damaged, although I'm sure that won't be a problem for you,"_ it read.

Seeing that see had her clothes back, Velvet changed into her combat attire. Her attire, looking the same but now repaired, covered more of her body and was actually a little more comfortable than before. A few minutes later, they both enter the arena and take their positions. Yang noticed Velvet's clothing and quickly gave her a thumbs up in approval, to which Velvet smiles and nods back in return. Yang activates her shotgun gauntlets, Ember Celica, while Velvet engages her arm blade. Both fighters take their stances and prepare to fight. This match is going to be epic…

* * *

 **I apologize for the late submission and for the fact that not much happens in this chapter. I was kind of busy spending time with my mom and grandmother for Mother's Day. I've been reading the reviews and most were well received. There were a few that were more negative, but that is to be expected, and is fine. However, those that say they want the VelvetxRuby pairing gone, let me say this: the VelvetxRuby pairing is STAYING. If you do not like the idea, that is your opinion, which is fine; just don't read the story then. Anyway, Please Read and Review.**


	6. Chapter 6: The Demon vs The Dragon

**I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's Chapter 6. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: The Demon vs the Dragon**

Velvet and Yang take their stances and eye each other, waiting for Goodwitch to start the match.

 _"Velvet's definitely got some skills, but she has no idea what's coming to her,"_ Yang notes, wearing a confident smile.

 _"She's seen me in action during my initiation, while I have no idea how she fights. This gives her the advantage. This also won't be like fighting demons or Grimm. I better keep my guard up,"_ Velvet thinks as she narrows her eyes at Yang.

Goodwitch raises her arm at the edge of the arena, "Ready…and…Begin!" she says, lowering her arm.

Yang makes the first move as she fires her shotgun gauntlets at Velvet, sending several shots her way. Velvet rolls out of the way of some, and flips over the rest as they hit the ground and explode. Yang then aims her weapons behind her and fires, using the recoil to propel her towards Velvet faster than normal. When she gets close, Yang throws a right jab, then a left hook, and then a right side kick, all of which Velvet dodges before countering with an upward diagonal slash with her blade. Yang blocks with her gauntlets and then throws several hooks. Velvet blocks each one before she maneuvers the last left hook around her to knee Yang in the stomach. Velvet then makes a three slashes at Yang, who blocks them, and then does a spin kick that knocks Yang back a few feet. Yang slides across the floor, stops, and then fires a shot at Velvet, who rolls under it as she runs at Yang.

When she gets close, Velvet activates her foot blades and thrusts her right leg upward at Yang, who reels back to avoid the attack. Velvet twist around to deal a horizontal slash with her arm blade that gets blocked, but then she drops onto one hand and spins her foot blades at Yang's legs, that hit their mark. Yang staggers from the hit, giving Velvet a chance to punch her in the gut with her left hand. After the hit, Yang grits her teeth and goes on the offensive again. She starts with a right cross, then a left uppercut, followed by front kick. Velvet evades them and thrusts her arm blade forward at Yang's chest. Yang hoped for this and grabs Velvet's arm, giving her the chance to uppercut her in the stomach before throwing a left hook at her face. Velvet stops it with her left hand, but Yang head-butts her in the face to get some distance between the two.

"Not bad. But this fight's just getting started," Yang says.

Velvet makes no comment and runs at her, jumping into the air as she does a freestyle kick at Yang's head. The attack misses, but Velvet follows it up with a slash from her arm blade and then with a left side kick, with the third attack hitting Yang. Yang hits the ground and rolls to get back on her feet. However, the second she turns around, Velvet already hits her with drop kick to her face that knocks her back to the ground. Velvet prepares to go at her again, but stops when she notices Yang's hair starting to burn with fire. Yang stands up, and still smiling, smashes her fists together as fire explodes around her. She rushes at Velvet again, with Velvet throwing a spin kick at her. Yang ducks under it and lands a few cross punches on Velvet, before ending it with a hard uppercut to her face. The strike sends Velvet flying up, but she manages to reposition herself in mid-air to land back on her feet. Yang rushes her and as she throws a right punch, Velvet side steps her and slashes at her head as she passes. Yang stops and turns around to face her.

However, her eyes quickly fall on the few locks of blonde hair that fall onto the ground. Velvet notices them as well and shrugs it off, but then she feels the heat in the room suddenly rise and looks at Yang.

"Uh oh," Ruby says, knowing what comes next.

"Why you…YOU JERK!" Yang yells as she goes into a rage.

Yang shoots over to Velvet and starts throwing punch after punch as Velvet tries to avoid them, but has trouble as a Yang lands a few clean hits on her. After the third punch nails her, Yang throws a powerful right jab that sends Velvet flying across the arena, landing at its edge. The screen above the arena shows Velvet's aura level just barely above the red zone, while Yang still has about half of her aura up. Velvet gets onto one knee with her head down.

 _"She's a lot stronger than I thought. This must be her semblance. To think that I would have this much trouble against the fighters in this world…And yet I'm supposed to protect Ruby. How can I do that if I can't beat her own sister…I guess I have no choice…Sorry about this Yang,"_ Velvet thinks.

Yang cocks her right gauntlet and fires off a shot at Velvet. However, Velvet activates her demon arm and smacks the shot away like a fly. Yang gets angry and charges Velvet, but just as she gets close, Velvet thrusts her demon arm forward and grabs Yang's skull. She then attacks with her fire arte at point blank range, hitting Yang in the face and sending here rolling across the arena while she chases her. As Yang gets up, growling, Velvet is already on her and grabs her skull again. Velvet starts absorbing her strength, with Yang trying to free herself, but her efforts diminish as she gets weaker. Eventually, Yang falls onto her knees and her arms lose their strength. Velvet keeps going until she hears a buzzer and stops her ability. She looks up to see her aura still just barely above the red zone, while Yang's is in the red zone. She lets go of Yang and deactivates her demon arm, and then looks up to the stands.

Everyone is shocked to see how she won by absorbing Yang's strength. She notices the looks they were giving her; shock, confusion…and fear. She looks at Yang, who weakly gives her the same look of fear. Velvet then looks back at the rest of her team to find the same expressions on their faces. When Velvet sees Ruby's face, she quickly looks away and can't help but feel a sense of dread at the thought that Ruby might be afraid of her.

" _No matter where I go, I'm still a monster…and everyone will see me as one,"_ she notes.

From the sidelines, Goodwitch shakes her head to clear her mind and walks forward.

"That's the match. The winner is Velvet Crowe. Uh, well done Miss Crowe. The two of you return to the locker room to get changed while I set up the next match," she says.

Seeing as Yang may not feel up to going with her, Velvet goes first. When she enters the locker room, her mind goes back to the image of seeing Ruby looking scared at her.

 _"Why?...Why does that bother me so much? Many people have seen my powers and were scared of me then, but that didn't affect me at all. Damn it. DAMN IT!"_ Velvet mentally screams as she punches a locker, denting the door.

Deciding that she needed some space, Velvet returns to the stands, but sits away from everyone else, including her team. The rest of the class goes off without much else and soon ends. Everyone gets ready to leave, but Velvet stays behind as the others go first. After they all leave, Velvet gets ready to leave until Professor Goodwitch approaches her.

"Miss Crowe. What happened in your match earlier? I have never heard of someone possessing a semblance that allows them to absorb someone's strength and aura. Even Miss Xiao Long's semblance doesn't give her that ability. Explain yourself," she demands.

Velvet thinks for a moment on an excuse for her demon powers, and quickly comes up with one.

"It's part of my semblance. Those fire attacks I produce. Well, I need energy to create them, so I have the ability to absorb the aura of others to build up the energy for them," Velvet lies.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?! If you absorb too much of a person's aura, it could kill them," Goodwitch berates her. Velvet chuckles at this. "What is so funny about this?" Glynda asks, getting a little irritated.

"You complain about people possible being killed from my ability. Where I come from, sometimes you had to kill in order to survive. My semblance was born from that desire to survive. And besides, aren't huntsmen trained to fight and kill Grimm?" Velvet counters.

"Yes, but Grimm are monsters that have no soul. They are humanity's enemy," Glynda explains.

"And yet, they are not the only enemy to humanity. I now there are times when people turn on each other and cause conflict. I've seen it, and sometimes the situation gets so bad, that people end up killing each other. I'm sure huntsmen have been called to missions where they had to kill people. Am I right?" Velvet questions her. Glynda tries to retort, but looks away as she knows that Velvet is right. "Are we done here then?" she asks.

Glynda reluctantly nods her head. "Yes. We are done…For now," she replies.

Velvet gets up and leaves while Glynda watches her. The rest of the day goes off without a hitch, although Velvet keeps her distance from her teammates. Soon, dinner arrives and Teams RVWBY and JNPR sit together as usual. However, when Velvet walks towards them, they still give her the looks they had from before, and decides to eat somewhere else by herself. While she is gone, the two teams have a discussion.

"Okay, is anyone else just a little freaked out by what Velvet did earlier?" Jaune asks.

"Creeped out doesn't even begin to describe it. She absorbed Yang's aura. How is that even possible?" Weiss asks.

"Yang, what happened during that fight? I mean what did it feel like to you?" Blake asks.

Yang looks down at her plate, "Honestly, I have no idea. When she grabbed my head and started absorbing my strength, it felt weird. It was like my soul was being slowly ripped out from my body. Honestly, it was scary," Yang notes while hugging herself.

"I admit, I thought her semblance was cool before, but now I'm not so sure," Nora says, losing some of her usual happy demeanor.

"I'm sure Velvet has an explanation for this. It is said that a person's semblance is based on their character. Perhaps if we got to know her better and understood her character more, then this would become clearer," Pyrrha says, trying to give the benefit of the doubt to Velvet.

"That depends on whether or not she wants to talk to us. She has been avoiding us since the match," Ren notes.

Throughout the exchange, Ruby remains the only one who doesn't speak about Velvet and glances towards her. She sees Velvet finishing her dinner and gets up to leave without looking back at them. This makes Ruby feel sad for a moment.

 _"Velvet…"_ she thinks.

…

Later that evening, the four members of Team RVWBY have already returned to their dorm room and gotten changed into their sleeping attire, but Velvet has yet to return.

"Do you think she's gonna come back?" Yang asks while brushing her hair.

"With how we reacted to her in class, I don't think so," Blake says while reading a book on her bed.

"She can't stay away forever. Like it or not, she's gonna have to come back. And when she does. I want some answers from her," Weiss says, hands on her hips.

Ruby sits on her bunk, remaining silent while she thinks.

 _"She's staying away because of how we reacted. I admit, she was scary, but…she's our teammate, and our friend…I have to go find her,"_ Ruby decides and jumps off her bed. "I'll go find her," she declares as she gets ready to leave.

"Hold on Ruby, I'm not sure that's a good idea. Maybe we should give her some space for now," Yang tries to dissuade her.

"She's not trying to stay away. We PUSHED her away. Yes, I admit I was scared, but that doesn't give any of us the right to just boot her out like that. So, I'm going to find her and apologize, and you can't stop me. You guys wait here if she comes back, and call me on my scroll if she does. I'll be back," she says and leaves the room.

Ruby scours the school, looking for Velvet, but for a time has no luck. However, that doesn't stop her as she keeps on searching for her. Ruby searches for some time, checking around the dorm halls, but finds no sign of her. Eventually, her quest takes her to the top of the dorm building to a balcony area. Here, her efforts finally come to fruition when she sees Velvet standing alone, gazing at the stars.

"So, finally found the monster, have you? You sure that's a good idea?" Velvet asks without looking at her.

Ruby steps forward, "Velvet…I-," she begins.

"You're not the first. Back home, I got along with everyone…That is…until this happened," she says, raising her left arm. "After I got my abilities, everyone became afraid of me, hated me even. I was ostracized because of what I am…And now the same thing has happened here. Most may think semblances are gifts, but mine has been nothing but a curse," Velvet interrupts her while looking at her left arm with a sorrowful look.

Ruby steps closer to Velvet, "Look Velvet, I'm sorry about how I reacted earlier. I don't know what happened to you back home. But things are different now. You're here at Beacon, and you're a part of Team RVWBY. We are not afraid of you-," Ruby tries to say, but Velvet stops her.

"I recognized the looks everyone in class was giving me. It was fear. Yang showed it, the others showed it…You showed it. No matter where I go, I will always be seen as a monster, and people will always be afraid of me," Velvet replies and turns around to face Ruby with a neutral expression. "Although, I've gotten used to it now. If people are afraid of me, that's fine. I don't care…Even if you're scared of me," Velvet says.

At this point, Ruby has had enough and runs at Velvet, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace, shocking Velvet.

"But it's not fine. I'm not afraid of you. You're my teammate, and more importantly you're my friend. I know you've had it rough, but that doesn't mean you're no different from the rest of us. I don't know exactly what you went through in the past, but that doesn't mean you'll go through that here. I admit, seeing what you did unnerved me a bit, but that doesn't change the fact that you're my friend. And I will always be there for my friends," Ruby says while holding Velvet tightly.

Velvet remains shocked at Ruby's actions, but also can't help but blush a little bit at how close Ruby is to her. Eventually, Velvet slowly returns the embrace, albeit has some trouble returning the kind gesture as she's not used to it.

"…Thank you, Ruby. I guess I needed that. But, could you, uh, let me go now?" she says.

Ruby opens her eyes and realizes their position, specifically her head pressed against Velvet's chest due to their height difference. She blushes at realizing this, and quickly separates from Velvet.

"Uh, um, we should probably get back to the dorm room. The others must be worried about us," Ruby says, fidgeting with her fingers.

Velvet nods and they head back to their dorm room. When they enter the room, all eyes lock on them. Yang hops off her bunk and approaches the two along with Weiss and Blake.

"Look Velvet, I-," she begins.

"Yang, I told you we can't push her away. She's our friend and teammate, and nothing is going to change that," Ruby declares as she gets in between them.

"I know. Just let me talk to her," Yang says and looks back at Velvet. "Look Velvet, I want to say I'm sorry about how I acted before. I guess I was just shocked about your semblance and I didn't know what to think, so I just…blanked out. The fact remains that you beat me fair and square. Weiss and Blake feel the same," Yang apologizes, scratching her head.

"She's right. You're our teammate, and teammates are supposed to stick together. So, I apologize about before," Weiss says.

"I'm sorry too," Blake adds.

Velvet looks at all of them and sighs, "It's alright. Let's just move on and not worry about it, okay?" she suggests.

The three smile, "Okay," Yang says.

Ruby smiles as well, "Good, now how about we all get some sleep?" she suggests, to which they all nod at.

They all head to their beds, but as Ruby hops onto hers, she notices Velvet pull out a well-designed, brownish-gold comb and starts combing her hair with it.

"I didn't know you had a comb, Velvet," she says, getting everyone's attention.

Velvet stops here combing, "Yeah…It was my younger brother's," she says solemnly and continues combing her hair.

"I didn't know you have a younger brother," Yang says, missing the signs in Velvet's words.

"Had', a brother…He's dead," she replies and finishes her combing before she puts the comb away and gets into bed. "Goodnight," she says and goes to sleep.

The rest look at each other, concerned about what she said, but decide to give her some space for the time being, and go to sleep themselves. However, Ruby looks at Velvet one more and the image of them embracing each other from before, and can't help but let a little blush coat her cheeks at the memory as she falls asleep.

 _"I promise Velvet. You may have had a rough life in the past, but I'll make your time here at Beacon the best of your life. And I won't ever let you go it alone. I promise."_

* * *

 **So now we have the first signs of the VelvetxRuby pairing. What awaits Velvet in the future with Team RVWBY. Please Read and Review.**


	7. Chapter 7: Two Velvets

**I do not own RWBY or Tales Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 7. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Two Velvets**

A few weeks have passed since Velvet's duel with Yang and things have been slow, though progress has been made between the team. The rest of Team RVWBY no longer seem to be on edge with Velvet and her abilities. Though they have gotten a little closer, Velvet still has not revealed much about her past. Ruby decided to let her go at her own pace, and told the rest of the team to do the same. Currently, Velvet is in the training room, practicing her martial arts techniques. She throws a few slashes at some training dummies before ending her assault with three right side kicks at different angles. She stops shortly after that, and just stands looking at the training dummy in front of her. It's hard to focus on training when one's mind is somewhere else, specifically to a few past battles.

 _"No way would I have had that much trouble against Yang, nor that Deathstalker during my initiation. I defeated Artorius and he was much more powerful than them. I know I haven't gotten rusty, so that can only mean one thing…Somehow, I've lost much of my power when I got sent to this world, and I'll bet that woman had something to do with it,"_ Velvet thinks.

Deciding that she had been training enough for today, since she started two hours ago, she leaves the training room to return to her dorm. On her way though, she noticed a distinct pair of rabbit ears poking out from the doorway of the room that quickly retreat from her view. Rolling her eyes, Velvet walks out of the training room to see no one in the hall, but is keenly aware of a presence hiding behind one corner to her right. Velvet turns left and starts walking towards her dorm, and a moment later, the mysterious onlooker follows her. Velvet continues walking, feigning ignorance at her apparent stalker and turns left at one corner. The stalker waits a moment before going around the corner as well, only to run into Velvet staring right at her with an unamused glare. Velvet gets a good look at her shadow, seeing a teenage girl wearing the school uniform, with long brown hair, brown eyes, and rabbit ears, making her a Faunus. The girl quickly jumps in shock and tries to flee, only for Velvet to grab her by the back of her collar, preventing her from escaping. Seeing as she wasn't going to get away, the girl relents and faces Velvet.

"Alright, why are you following me?" Velvet asks stoically.

"Oh, so you noticed me, huh?" the girl says, not meeting Velvet's gaze.

"Yes, and yesterday, and three days ago, and a week before that," Velvet lists off, remaining unamused.

The girl's eyes widen at seeing that Velvet had known she was watching her this whole time.

The girl laughs nervously, "Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't exactly know how to approach you since you don't exactly seem to be the most social kind of person. So I decided to watch you from a distance. I apologize for watching without asking. My name is Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina," Velvet introduces herself.

Velvet raises an eyebrow slightly at seeing that they had the same name.

"Velvet Crowe. Again, why are you following me?" she questions her.

At this point, the other Velvet pulls out a brown camera from behind her.

"Um, well, I was hoping I could get a picture of you. It's kind of my hobby. Would that be alright?" she asks. Velvet thinks about it, but seeing no problem with it, nods her head. This makes the camera lover smile. "Thank you. This'll only take a minute. Oh, I'll need you to activate your arm blade and your foot blades, please," she says as she readies her camera. Velvet wonders why but dismisses the thought and activates her weapons, holding her arm blade over her chest. When the other Velvet takes the pictures, Velvet notices how she focused the lens on her arm blade and then her feet, which confuses her. "Done. Thanks again. See you around," she says and leaves.

Velvet deactivates her weapons and continues her trek back to her dorm room. As she nears the dorm room, a sudden "crash" sound is heard from inside her room. She opens the door and finds a desk chair on the ground along with a white suitcase of dust crystals, Weiss holding Ruby's scythe in its non-combat form, Blake reading a book on her bunk, and Yang holding Ruby, who's kicking and screaming to break free. Soon, everyone notice Velvet and stop the chaos. Velvet just looks on with half-lidded eyes.

"What?" she asks as she closes the door.

Weiss straightens up and coughs in her hand. "Ahem. Our fearless leader here decided it would be a good idea to try out all the different kinds of dust crystals I got delivered to me with her weapon. I told her no, but she kept on insisting it wasn't a bad idea. Things started to get a little out of hand, and then Yang stepped in to hold Ruby back until everything calmed down," Weiss explains.

"Aw, come on, nothing bad is going to happen. Besides, I'd have you there to help me out. Crescent Rose is already super awesome, just imagine how much more awesome it would be if I could use different kinds of Dust with it," Ruby counters.

"Yeah, I'm not sure that would be a good idea right now. And this is me we're talking about here," Yang adds, still holding Ruby. "So, will you stop now?" she asks, but when Ruby doesn't answer, Yang starts shaking her around wildly.

"AH! Alright, I'll stop! I'll stop!" Ruby screams, and Yang stops shaking her around and lets her go.

"About time you settled this," Blake says, continuing her reading.

"Now with that done, help me clean up this mess," Weiss says.

The four of them start cleaning up the mess, but as they clean, Velvet notices one light blue Dust crystal behind a desk, and picks it up to inspect it, holding it close to her eyes.

 _"I wonder…"_ she muses as she glances at her left arm for a moment.

"Thank you," Weiss says as she takes the Dust crystal from Velvet to place back into her suitcase.

Shortly after they fix up their room, the team decides to go eat and heads to the cafeteria. After getting their meals, they meet up with Team JNPR at their usual table.

"So is everything alright with you guys? We heard some loud noises from your room. What happened?" Jaune asks.

Weiss, Yang, and Blake all glance at Ruby, who rubs her head and tries to laugh it off, while Velvet just focuses on her food. The rest of the meal goes off with just some small talk. Eventually, the two teams return to their dorms. Soon, the girls get changed and do different activities for the rest of the night, with Blake reading (of course), Weiss helping Ruby study (more like forcing in Ruby's mind), Yang listening to music, and Velvet combing her hair. Ruby notices this and, to Weiss' irritation, walks over to her.

"You know Velvet, I could help you with that if you like. You do have really long hair," Ruby offers.

"I'm good," Velvet replies as she combs her hair.

"Are you sure?" Ruby asks.

"Yeah," Velvet answers.

The conversation quickly gets Yang's attention, "You can help with my hair if you like, Ruby," Yang says.

"Yeah…No," Ruby declines.

"What? Why not?" Yang asks.

"Because the last time I tried to help you with your hair, I almost got punched through a wall," Ruby deadpans.

"I didn't mean for my semblance to activate like that. I'm just really protective with my hair," Yang retorts.

"Yeah, we've noticed. Anyone who so much as touches one strand on your head without your permission ends up going through a wall," Blake exaggerates with a small smirk.

Yang groans, "Ugh, Weiss, Velvet, back me up here," Yang pleads.

"Don't look at me. I actually agree with your sister," Weiss replies.

"You're on your own," Velvet says as she continues combing her hair.

Yang hangs her head in defeat and plops down back on her bed.

"Actually, I just remembered. You said that comb was your younger brother's, right?" Ruby asks Velvet.

This makes Velvet stop what she's doing and look away from them.

"Yeah…" she mutters.

"Well, could you maybe tell us a little about him?" Ruby inquires as everyone looks at Velvet.

Velvet thinks for a moment, but sighs as she sees no way out of this, "His name…was Laphicet. He was some years younger than me, and was born sickly, but he had a big heart. All he wanted…was for me to be happy…And then he was killed," Velvet says as she remembers her little brother, eyes focused on her comb.

The other girls look down in sadness, now feeling uncomfortable at making Velvet bring up bad memories.

"Was…was he killed by Grimm?" Ruby asks.

"No…not by Grimm," Velvet mutters back before turning her back on them. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight," Velvet says and begins to fall asleep.

Seeing as how she was done talking, the others gave Velvet her space and retreat to their own beds. However, Ruby takes one last look at Velvet with a sad expression.

"Goodnight Velvet," she whispers and goes to sleep herself.

…

Velvet opens her eyes and once again finds herself in a white void.

"Alright, what do you want now?" Velvet asks as she looks behind her to see the woman in the white cloak again.

"I believe you have questions for me, yes?" the woman asks.

"Yeah, like why have I become weaker than back in my world?" Velvet questions her.

"Well, I told you that I tweaked a few things when I sent you here. This is another one of those things," the woman explained as if it was nothing bad.

"You decided to make me weaker. Why?" Velvet asks, starting to get angry.

"We all have to start somewhere, Velvet. For you, this second chance at life would have to be obtained at the beginning, just like everything else. Besides, I did it to help you," the woman calmly explains.

"Help me! How does that help me?" Velvet growls.

"Grimm are attracted to negativity. All the power you gained had been mainly from the demons you ate, and those demons contained a lot of negativity in them, which then ended up in you. Had you come to this world with all that, the Grimm would've been greatly attracted to you, and may even attack the school to get to you. I'm sorry, but I couldn't risk that. You may have been able to deal with them, but my daughter, her friends, and the rest of the students here would not be as lucky," the woman says. This makes Velvet ease up a little bit. "You have lived in darkness for a long time, Velvet, but now is your chance to try living in the light. Don't you think you've earned some sense of happiness after all you've been through?" she asks.

Velvet contemplates this for a moment, "After all I've done, I don't think I deserve any kind of happiness," Velvet admits.

The woman shakes her head, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. While I admit, there are those kind of people out there that don't deserve to live happy, you are not one of them. Don't be so quick to give that opportunity up," The woman encourages her.

"Hmph. That makes one of us," Velvet retorts.

The woman looks up for a moment, "It looks like it's time for me to go. We'll meet again in the future," The woman says.

"Whatever," Velvet says as things start to fade away.

"And if you still don't think you deserve happiness, I know my daughter will think otherwise," the woman says as she disappears.

…

Velvet wakes up again in her bed and sighs, _"That woman is starting to really annoy me,"_ she thinks before going back to sleep.

…

A few days later, Team RVWBY are in combat class, watching Jaune losing against Cardin Winchester. The other teammates watch with worry while Velvet rests her chin one on hand as she watches with indifference. Jaune goes for a swing with his sword, but Cardin casually ducks under it and deals a heavy swing with his mace that knocks Jaune onto the ground, losing his shield. Jaune gets up while catching his breath, and goes on the attack again, making a downward slash at Cardin. Cardin blocks the strike with his mace, and pushes Jaune back.

"This is the part where you lose," Cardin taunts him.

"Over my dead-ugh!" Jaune groans as Cardin knees him in the stomach, making him fall to the ground.

Jaune looks up as Cardin raise his mace to deal the finishing blow, but is stopped as the lights come on and a buzzer sounds off.

"That's enough," Goodwitch stops the match as she walks up. Two screens above her show Cardin with his aura level in the green, and Jaune's aura level in the red. "Students, as you can see, Mr. Arc's aura has now dropped into the red," She says, working on her scroll to show the results. "In a tournament styled duel, this would indicate that Jaune is no longer fit for battle and that the official may call the match. Mr. Arc, it's been weeks now. Please try to refer to your scroll during combat. Gauging your aura will help you to decide when it is appropriate to attack, or when it is better to move to a more…defensive strategy," Goodwitch explains while Jaune looks at his scroll, showing that all his teammates' aura levels are green while his is in the red. "We wouldn't want you to be gobbled up by a Beowolf, now would we?"

"Speak for yourself," Cardin mutters as he places his mace back onto his right shoulder and leaves the stage, but not before he winks at Velvet, who rolls her eyes in response.

"Remember everyone, the Vytal Festival is only a few months away. It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing," Glynda informs them.

Most of Team RVWBY all show various versions of excited reactions at hearing this, but Velvet continues to remain indifferent. Meanwhile, Pyrrha looks on at Jaune with concern, while Jaune can only look down in shame.

…

Sometime later, the two teams are in the cafeteria having lunch.

"So, there we were, in the middle of the night," Nora starts telling a story, trying to sound ominous.

"It was day," Ren calmly corrects her.

"We were surrounded by Ursai," Nora continues as Yang, entranced by the tale, listens in on the story while Blake, sitting on her right, is reading her own story.

"They were Beowolves," Ren corrects her again while holding a coffee mug.

"Dozens of them!" Nora shouts, causing Yang to jerk back and nod her head.

"Two of them," Ren corrects her again.

"But they were no match, and in the end, Ren and I took them down, and made a boat-load of lien selling Ursa-skin rugs," Nora finishes her story with a smile while Ruby and Pyrrha look at Jaune with worried expressions.

Ren sighs, "She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now," Ren informs them.

"And you haven't lost your sanity from her because…?" Velvet asks.

"You get used to it…Eventually," Ren replies while taking a sip of his drink.

Velvet then looks at Jaune, "So, what's got you all down in the dumps?" she asks.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I'm fine?" Jaune replies, not paying attention.

"Jaune, are you sure you're alright?" Pyrrha asks, concerned.

"What? Yeah, I'm just fine. Look," Jaune tries to show a confident smile, but it backfires.

"Very convincing," Velvet sarcastically replies, not buying it.

They then hear some noise behind them and look to see Team CRDL surrounding a girl with rabbit ears.

 _"Isn't that…?"_ Velvet wonders to herself.

"Jaune, Cardin's been picking on you since the first week of school," Pyrrha says.

"What, Cardin Winchester? No, he just likes practical jokes," Jaune waves it off.

"He's a bully," Ruby corrects him.

"He's an idiot," Velvet adds.

"Oh come on. Name one time he's 'bullied' me," Jaune says.

"Knocking books out of your hands. Getting your shield stuck in a doorway. Pushing you into a rocket-propelled locker and sending you flying to who-knows-where…Shall I continue?" Velvet lists off, looking unamused.

"Not helping, Velvet. Besides, it's not like I landed far from the school," Jaune tries to defend himself.

"Jaune, if you ever need help, you can just ask us," Pyrrha says.

Nora then jumps up, "Ooh, we'll break his legs!" Nora suggests, showing a crazy smile.

"That's tempting," Velvet notes.

"Guys, I'm fine. Besides, he's not just a jerk to me. He's a jerk to everyone," Jaune retorts as he stands up.

Hearing more noise behind them, they all look back again to see Cardin pulling on one of Velvet Scarlatina's ears and the whole team laughing at her.

"I've had about enough of this," Velvet mutters and stands up to walk over to their table. When she gets close, she ends up behind Cardin. "Hey, what's going on here?" she asks.

Cardin turns around and after seeing Velvet, releases the other Velvet's ear to focus on the newcomer.

"Well, hey there, hot stuff. Finally decided that you couldn't resist my charm anymore, huh," Cardin flirts with her, but that only has the opposite effect.

Velvet groans and rolls her eyes, "I don't waste my time on apes like you. I'll only say this once: leave the girl alone," Velvet tells them.

This immediately makes Cardin lose his smug demeanor, "What? Don't tell me you actually care about this animal? They're all freaks that don't deserve to be here. Why should anyone care about what happens to them?" Cardin retorts.

A second later, Cardin finds his head in the vice-like grip of Velvet's demon arm and struggles to get free. His teammates try to come to his aid, but Velvet points her gauntlet blade at them, making them halt their advance.

Velvet looks back at Cardin, "Maybe, you didn't hear me. I said you're done bullying this girl, so leave her alone and get out of here. NOW," Velvet demands as she tightens her grip.

Cardin squirms in her grip, but she quickly hears what sounds like an "okay" from him and throws him at his teammates while the other Velvet runs behind Velvet. The four boys slowly get up and look like they're about to attack, but Velvet summons some fire in her demon arm, making them reconsider and so they run out of the cafeteria. Seeing that they're gone, Velvet releases her demon arm and her arm blade.

"Um, thank you for helping me," she hears behind her and looks back at the Faunus girl. "Not many people would help those like me, so thanks. Why did you anyway?" she ask.

"I didn't like it. That's all," Velvet answers.

"But, I'm a Faunus. Not many people like us," the other Velvet says.

"Makes no difference to me," Velvet nonchalantly replies. _"Besides, if anything, you're more human than I can ever be."_

This makes the other Velvet smile, "Well, thanks again," she thanks her.

Velvet just walks off back to her seat, and as she sits down, she notices everyone looking at her.

"What?" she asks.

"Oh, nothing. We just thought that was very cool what you did. Not many people stand up for Faunus, so seeing you do just that was pretty awesome. You really are a nice person, Velvet," Ruby praises her with the rest nodding in agreement.

"I doubt that," Velvet replies, but then looks at Jaune. "Someone here has to have some guts," she says, directing it at him.

Jaune looks away and leaves the table while the rest, except for Velvet, watch with worry.

* * *

 **Now Velvet has started to reveal her past to her team, and got to meet Velvet Scarlatina (wow that was a little complicated for me to write). The woman has apparently done q few things to Velvet before she came here. What else has she done? And what else awaits Velvet in the future? Please Read and Review.**


	8. Chapter 8: A Little Experiment

**Sorry for the wait. I've been busy. Advanced notice, I may get busy in the future so updates may not be as often. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 8. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: A Little Experiment**

A few days have passed since the incident in the cafeteria. Professor Goodwitch was notified and brought in both Velvets to explain the situation. While Glynda was fully prepared to punish Velvet for her actions against Team CDRL, after she heard Miss Scarlatina's testimony, she was a little more reasonable. Ultimately, Professor Ozpin decided that Velvet was just defending a fellow student from discrimination, something he does not tolerate, and let her off for now. For now, Velvet is in the library, reading up on the history of Dust and its capabilities. Ever since the dorm room incident a while back, Velvet has grown a little curious on the matter.

 _"Each type of dust has a different elemental ability, and can even be combined in a way to create new forms of Dust. I wonder if it's possible to absorb Dust with my demon arm and use those abilities, or at least get stronger from it,"_ Velvet muses as she continues reading.

"Velvet? What are you doing here?" a voice calls out behind her.

Velvet turns around to find Weiss standing behind her with a few books in her arms.

"Research, that's all. You?" Velvet replies.

Weiss walks up to stand beside her, "I was going to do some studying. May I sit here?" she politely.

"Knock yourself out," Velvet says.

"Thank you," Weiss says and takes the seat across from Velvet. She looks at the books Velvet has, seeing all of them being about Dust. "What's with all the books about Dust?" she asks.

"Like I said, research," Velvet responds, eyes still on one book in her hands.

"You know, if you ever have questions regarding Dust, you could just ask me. I am the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, after all," Weiss says, a little confidence in her voice.

"Right, which begs the question of why a rick kid would risk her life of luxury to become a huntress," Velvet muses, finally looking up at Weiss.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss questions, getting annoyed.

"Why did you want to become a huntress Weiss?" Velvet asks.

"That doesn't answer my question," Weiss says.

"Answer my question and maybe I'll answer yours," Velvet retorts.

Weiss thinks on this for a moment, "I… want to become a huntress to restore my family's honor. Ever since my father took over the company for my grandfather, the Schnee Dust Company has become more profitable than ever before, but…I don't like how it became that way. It was because of the-," she begins.

"Questionable business partners, cheap Faunus labor, possible illegal activities," Velvet interrupts her, making Weiss look at her with both slight confusion and fear. "Came up in my research. I thought huntsmen and huntresses were supposed to protect all of the people of Remnant, not just a select few. If that's your only reason for being here, then you should drop out. A family's honor won't save you in the real world," Velvet tells her.

This makes Weiss look down in…shame, "I know what huntresses and huntsmen are supposed to do. That's why I'm here. I just…can't let the company my grandfather worked so hard to build get torn down by my father. All he cares about is his profits, no matter who it hurts," Weiss admits.

Velvet observes her for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, "Well, I guess that's alright. You're reason seems to be better than mine for being here anyway," Velvet says, looking back to her book.

Weiss raises her head in confusion, "What? Why are you here then? Aren't you here to protect the people as well?" Weiss asks.

Velvet contemplates her answer, "…I suppose so. But that's not the only reason. You're here to fix things, which may end up helping a lot of people…I'm mainly here for one," Velvet answers. _"Who just so happens to be our team leader."_

"And just who would that be?" Weiss asks, getting curious.

"My business," Velvet vaguely answers.

Weiss grunts in aggravation, but decides to let it be for now. Deciding that they talked enough, Weiss focused on her reason for being here: studying. Taking her own books, Weiss began jotting down notes from her books, while Velvet continued her own reading. The two conduct their work in respective silence for a while, content with their current arrangement. After a while, Velvet closes her book and decides she's done for now, and prepares to leave. She stand up from her chair, which gets Weiss' attention.

"You're leaving now?" she asks.

"Yeah, I've done all I can for now. I'll continue another time," Velvet replies.

"Actually, you never did answer my question on why you were researching about Dust," Weiss notes. "You said that if I answer your question, you'd answer mine, so out with it."

Velvet rather just leave now, but knows Weiss won't let it go and sighs.

"I got the idea in my head about using my…semblance to see if I can absorb Dust, giving me different abilities," Velvet answers.

This makes Weiss go wide-eyed, "Absorbing Dust!? Do you have any idea what that could do to you!? Aura is one thing, but that just sounds incredibly dangerous!" Weiss freaks out.

"Don't know, that's why I was thinking about it. Don't see how this concerns you," Velvet says as she turns away, one hand on her hip.

Weiss walks in front of Velvet, hands on her hips, "Of course this concerns me. You're my teammate. And knowing you, you'll just go and test out your theory anyway, so that's why I'm coming with you. I do have extensive knowledge on the subject, and at least if something bad happens, I'll be there to help," Weiss decides. Seeing that Weiss wasn't going to change her mind, Velvet shrugs her shoulders and walks ahead of her, with Weiss following. "We'll head back to the dorm so I can grab a few dust crystals from my supply, and then we'll go to the training room to practice on some test dummies. That should suffice. I'll also grab a first aid kit just in case something bad happens," Weiss says.

"Gee, thanks for the support," Velvet deadpans, rolling her eyes.

"Happy to oblige," Weiss dismisses her demeanor with a smile.

The two return to their dorm and Weiss grabs one of her suit cases, along with the first aid kit. They head to the training room, and luckily find it to be empty. They settle down in one corner, and prepare a few test dummies for the experiment.

"Here, let's start with this one. This will produce ice," Weiss says, handing Velvet a blue Dust crystal.

Velvet looks at it for a moment, "Here goes nothing," she says and turns to face the test dummies.

Velvet engages her demon arm and places the Dust crystal in her palm. Wrapping her claws around it, she starts absorbing the Dust crystal. For a moment, everything is going smoothly, but then Velvet starts feeling an intense pain in her arm and screams as she falls onto her knees, gritting her teeth in pain.

Weiss runs to her side as she freaks out, "Velvet! What's wrong!?" she yells.

Velvet grunts in pain, "The Dust crystal. It's having a hard time getting absorbed into me," she replies as she continues to feel more pain.

"I knew something bad would happen. Dust is used every day for different things, but it's very dangerous to the human body!" Weiss says.

 _"Heh, good thing I'm not a human then,"_ Velvet thinks as she pushes through the pain to absorb the Dust crystal.

"Velvet, this is crazy. You have to stop absorbing the crystal, now!" Weiss pleads with her.

"No…I won't stop…I can't stop. I need to do this!" She replies.

"Why?! Why do you have to be so stubborn?!" Weiss shouts as she tries to help Velvet.

Velvet continues to grind her teeth in agony, "I…I have to become stronger! Otherwise…I won't be able to do…what I came here to do!" Velvet answers.

"Velvet…"Weiss mutters in awe.

"And I won't let some stupid crystal get. In. My. Way! AAAAHHHHHHH!" Velvet screams as suddenly, the Dust crystal is fully absorbed into her demon arm.

With the crystal absorbed now, the pain fades away as Velvet takes a few deep breaths and looks at her demon arm. To both her and Weiss' surprise, Velvet's demon arm starts emitting a faint blue glow as small ice particles fall off from it.

"What in God's name just happened?" Weiss asks, completely stunned.

"Your guess is as good as mine. This has never happened before," Velvet says as she stands up.

"Velvet, are you okay? How do you feel?" Weiss asks worriedly.

"I feel fine. The pain is gone now. It does feel a little colder than before though for some reason," Velvet says as she examines her arm.

Weiss examines it as well with her chin in her right hand, "Hm. The cold might be because of the Dust being an ice type. But as for everything else, I have no idea," Weiss notes.

Deciding to test it out, Velvet looks at the training dummies and aims her demon arm at them. Focusing her energy, Velvet conjures up an ice shard in her palm and fires it at one training dummy. When the shard hits, the dummy becomes encased in ice. Weiss looks on in shock while Velvet hums in mild amusement. Conjuring up more ice shards, she fires them at the other training dummies, each ending with the same result. Velvet allows a smirk on her face as she looks at her arm and clenches her fist, focusing on her whole arm this time. A moment later, her arm becomes encased in ice, but with small swept-back spikes appearing all over it. She can move her arm easily even though it's in ice. She swings her arm around, noting how the ice remains intact. Walking a few feet away from Weiss, Velvet flexes her claws, raises her arm up, and stabs her claws into the ground, resulting in several large ice spikes springing up from the ground around her. Weiss can only watch in awe as Velvet uses Dust in ways even she couldn't use with her rapier, Myrtenaster. Velvet releases her claws from the ground, making the ice spikes disappear.

She looks back at the dummies again and tries a few more ice spikes. She is able to fire a few more at the dummies, encasing them in even more ice, but eventually Velvet finds herself being unable to create anymore ice shards. She looks at her demon arm to see that it no longer has its faint blue hue or any ice on it at all.

Weiss walks up to her, "What's wrong? Before, you were creating ice like it was nothing. Now what?" she asks.

"I can't do it anymore. I thought I could keep doing it for a lot longer than that," Velvet answers.

Weiss hums, "Hm. It might be because Dust has a limit. It's like a battery; eventually it runs out of power if you can't recharge it," she muses.

Velvet thinks for a moment, "…Give me another Dust crystal," she asks.

"What!? After what you just went through with the first one. Are you crazy?! What if this time, the pain becomes even worse?!" she shrieks.

"That won't happen. And we won't know until we try. Just hurry up and give me another one," Velvet says.

Weiss breaths a heavy sigh, "Fine. Just don't say I didn't warn you," she says and proceeds to hand Velvet a yellow lightning Dust crystal. "This is a lightning Dust crystal. Let's see how this one works. But be careful," she says.

Velvet nods and takes the new crystal into her demon hand. She starts absorbing it and starts to feel the pain again, only this time it is not as bad, though she still has to grit her teeth through the pain.

"How are you feeling? Any pain?" Weiss asks, concerned.

"Yeah, there's pain, but it's more bearable this time. I guess I'm getting used to it," Velvet answers through clenched teeth.

Eventually, the pain subsides and the two look at Velvet's demon arm to see yellow lightning encircling it and the arm itself emitting a faint yellow hue. Weiss steps back as Velvet aims her arm at the still-frozen training dummies. Focusing her energy, she fires a bolt of lightning at one dummy, freeing it from the ice and destroying it. She performs the same attack three more times, each ending with the same result. Clenching her demon claw, Velvet focuses the energy around it and raises her arm before slamming it into the ground, sending a large blast of lightning that destroys the rest of the training dummies. After expending her energy, the demon arm returns to normal. Velvet deactivates her demon arm as Weiss walks back up to her.

"Still feel alright?" she asks.

"I'm fine," Velvet replies.

"Well, I'd say that aside from the pain you went through, this little experiment went well. It seems your arm can absorb the abilities of different Dust types, though it only works for a limited time. However, I'd say this would help in expanding your combat potential nicely," Weiss says.

"Except for the fact that I don't have access to a decent supply of Dust crystals," Velvet notes.

"Oh don't worry. I'll take care of that," Weiss says.

"What?" Velvet asks.

"Have you already forgotten who I am? I can easily get you a steady supply of Dust for your abilities. I already get some for my weapon on a regular schedule, so adding a little extra to that won't raise any suspicions. Plus, no one would dare to ask ME why," Weiss explains confidently.

"Why would you do that for me?" Velvet asks, still confused.

"Because you're my teammate, we have to help each other or else we all fail. More importantly, I'd like to think of us as friends. But, I'm not trying to buy your friendship. I have more class than that," Weiss answers.

Velvet hums with a smirk, "Good to know…Thanks," she says.

"Don't mention it. Besides, this may give me some ideas for my rapier in the future," Weiss says as she starts packing up her suitcase.

"You won't tell your father you found someone that can use Dust like I can?" she asks.

"Not in a million years," Weiss answers immediately. "Now then, I believe we should head back to our dorm room," Weiss says as she starts to leave.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'll want to make up that lost time studying when you were helping me," Velvet says.

This makes Weiss freeze in place, eyes widen, before she suddenly starts racing back to the dorm.

"Oh, crap! I forgot all about that. We have to hurry back, now!" she yells as she runs out of the training room, while Velvet calmly walks back.

After a short walk, Velvet eventually makes it back to their dorm. Coming in, she finds Weiss on her bed as she studies with a semi-crazed look in her eyes. Meanwhile, Ruby watches on with worry, Yang is snickering, and Blake is minding her own business with her books. Ruby then notices Velvet coming in and smiles.

"Hey Velvet, do you know why Weiss is acting like this. I mean, she really likes to study more than anyone else, but this is a…little extreme," Ruby says as she glances back at Weiss.

"Met her in the library. She wanted to study, but she ended up spending her time helping me out with something," Velvet explains.

"Oh, that's why she studying like there's not tomorrow. What was she helping you with, anyway?" she asks.

"Seeing if my semblance could work on Dust crystals…It worked," Velvet replies nonchalantly.

This gets everyone's attention except for Weiss'.

"Wait, you mean you…absorbed Dust crystals into your arm?" Ruby asks with a little hesitation. Velvet nods, and then…

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" all three shout, though Velvet makes no response.

"Velvet, do you have any idea what that could've done to you? Absorbing a person's strength and aura is one thing, but Dust crystals?! That could've killed you!" Yang yells.

"Exactly! There's no telling what that would do to you!" Blake adds.

"Wait! Are you hurt? Are you feeling okay! Do you feel any weird sensations in you?!" Ruby asks as she zips around Velvet's body, checking for any signs of injuries or issues.

Velvet just takes all this in with a deadpanned expression. However, when Ruby tries to look somewhere she shouldn't Velvet grabs her by her hood and keeps her away at arm's length, making Ruby fling her arms around in futile resistance. Quickly though, Ruby relents and Velvet lets her go. Velvet looks to Weiss.

"Weiss, could you explain please," she sighs as she sits on her bed, one leg crossed over the other.

This grabs Weiss' attention and she groans at being interrupted, but relents and marks the page in her textbook.

"Yes. I made it perfectly clear how dangerous it was, but I knew that she was going to do it anyway, so I came with her. I gave her one Dust crystal and she started to absorb it, but then she started feeling huge amounts of pain because of it," Weiss begins.

"What!? Velvet, are you okay?!" Ruby flips out as she examines Velvet's body again, only for Velvet to pick her up by her hood and hang her away again, rolling her eyes.

"However, she pushed through the pain and fully absorbed the Dust crystal, and the pain subsided. Since the crystal was an ice type, her arm glowed a faint blue hue and she could create ice shards as projectiles, and even coat her arm in ice. However, her abilities only seemed to last for a short while, and they eventually dissipated. After that, I gave her a lightning Dust crystal to try with. She felt some pain when she absorbed it, but not as much, so I'm guessing that her body was growing accustomed to it. Her arm started glowing yellow after that and emitted lightning around it, which she used for some pretty impressive lightning based attacks. Eventually, that power faded as well, and we ended the tests there and came back here," Weiss finishes as Velvet drops Ruby again.

"So, you're okay now?" Ruby asks, concerned.

Velvet nods, "I'm fine. Don't worry," she says, making Ruby smile and breathe a sigh of relief.

"That's good to here," Ruby says, hand to her chest.

"Well, at least it all ended well. And now we know that you can use Dust. That's be a nice trump card for the Vytal Festival coming up," Yang says, smirking.

"As long as you're alright, that's all that matters," Blake adds.

With the situation settled, the team head out to get something to eat, making some small talk during their meal before returning to their dorm room to get through the rest of the day. When it gets late, the teammates each take turns using the restroom to prepare for the night. Everyone prepares to go to sleep, but Ruby stops when she notices Velvet combing her hair like usual and gets an idea.

Ruby walks up to Velvet, "Hey Velvet, why don't you let me comb your hair?" Ruby offers.

"I'm fine," Velvet replies without stopping.

Ruby puffs her cheeks and gets in Velvet's face, "Oh no, not this time. You made your teammates worry with that stunt you pulled earlier today, so this is how you're gonna make up for that, and I won't take 'no' for an answer. Now hand over the comb," Ruby demands.

Velvet couldn't really take her seriously with that cute look on her face…Wait…What?

 _"Where did that come from?"_ Velvet asks herself before looking back to Ruby. Seeing as how Ruby wasn't going to give up, Velvet gives up instead.

Velvet sighs, "Fine…Here, but don't break it," she says, handing Ruby the comb.

Ruby smiles at her victory and takes the comb, "Don't worry, I used to help Yang with her hair back home…before she got her semblance anyway," Ruby says and sits behind Velvet to start combing her hair.

Ruby's movements are slow and delicate as she combs Velvet's hair. Her fingers gently caress Velvet's black hair as she works her way through her long strands. Meanwhile, Velvet sits there, feeling a sense of nostalgia as she remembers when Laphicet used to do this for her back in her world.

"This was your little brother's comb, right. Did he used to do this for you a lot back home?" Ruby asks as she continues her task.

"…Yeah. All the time," Velvet answers solemnly.

Ruby notices the tone in her voice, "Do you…Do you want me to stop?" she asks.

"…No…Keep going. It feels…nice," Velvet answers her. Ruby shows a small smile and continues combing through Velvet's hair. "Hey Ruby…" she gets her attention. "Do you think…you could do this again tomorrow night as well?" she asks.

Ruby smiles bigger and nods, "Sure, as much as you want," she replies.

Hearing this, Velvet shows a small smile, "Thanks…Ruby," she says.

They continue like this for a few more minutes before Velvet says enough and Ruby hands her back the comb. Ruby heads over to her bed, bidding Velvet goodnight before going to sleep. However, Velvet takes one last look at Ruby as she sleeps, and lets another smile show before going to sleep herself.

* * *

 **Here's chapter 8. Sorry if this update seemed a little late. Like I said before, updates may start coming in later in the future, but I'll try to get them in ASAP. Velvet gains new way of using her powers as she bonds with Ruby and Weiss. Please Read and Review.**


	9. Chapter 9: An Upgrade

**Hello people. Well we already got one chapter with Velvet bonding with Yang (sort of), and one with Weiss. So now we have one with some bonding with Ruby. I know that she's done that in previous chapters, but they didn't really focus on those two, so here we are. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 9. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: An Upgrade**

As another day goes by, Ozpin is currently working in his office, taking care of paperwork for this semester before he has to start on the work scheduled for next semester. A few minutes later, Professor Goodwitch walks, holding some papers in her arms.

"Good afternoon, Professor Ozpin," she greets him.

"Good afternoon, Glynda. Do you have something for me?" he asks.

"These are the papers regarding the dorm setup for the exchange students coming next semester for the Vytal Festival. I thought it best to get this taken care of now while I had the time so we'll be ready later," she says, handing him the papers.

"Ah, thank you Glynda. I can always count on you to support me," he says, but notices a despondent look on her face. "Is something wrong?" he asks.

Glynda sighs, "I've been thinking about that girl, Velvet Crowe, a little bit. There's something about her that troubles me," she admits.

"Such as?" Ozpin encourages her.

"For one, video footage in the training room shows her absorbing Dust crystals into her semblance and using it in ways similar to Miss Schnee's weapon, not to mention another person's aura," Glynda replies.

"I'll admit it is a rather unique ability, but nothing too serious, don't you think?" Ozpin inquires.

"Yes, but she had that ability before her aura was unlocked? That shouldn't be possible unless that is not her semblance. Which begs the question of where and how she got those powers," Glynda says, her voice growing more anxious,

"Glynda…you do know we have seen abilities far more unusual than that…let's not forget what's at stake here," he reminds her.

"I know, it's just…She is not like the other students here. The abilities she's shown, the experience in combat…I almost shudder to think what she went through before we found her. You and I both know she was lying about how she got to the Emerald Forest and why. And not knowing the real reason unnerves me a bit," Glynda continues.

This makes Ozpin glance down in contemplation, "Well…It's not like we're exactly honest ourselves. So I say we don't really have the right to pry. We need to earn her trust, and it's obvious that won't happen for quite some time," Ozpin muses.

"You're not thinking about telling her, are you?" she asks.

"…No. I can tell she's been through a lot. That is definitely true. For now, it would be best to just let her be. She's slowly bonding with her teammates, and I'd hate to put them in that situation, especially young Miss Rose," Ozpin says, clasping his hands in front of his face.

"I worry about her too. She's a good girl…I'm afraid of what will happen with her should things get out of hand with…" Glynda trails off.

"We can only prepare for whatever happens as best as we can, Glynda. It's about all we can do at this point…" Ozpin advises her, to which she nods.

…

 _"Another moment of this, and I'm going to seriously maim him,"_ Velvet thinks, groaning silently.

Currently, Velvet along with her team are sitting through another one of Professor Port's stories about his youth, trying to listen as he talks about killing Grimm in the most unrealistic of ways imaginable.

"The Beowolf was cunning, and I only had a ruler and some duck tape at my disposal. The Grimm lunged at me, which is exactly what I was hoping for…" Port rabbles on.

Velvet tunes him out, chin resting in one hand as she pretends to look like she cares, but is having trouble doing so. She glances at her teammates, seeing Weiss taking extensive notes, Blake listening while glancing at her book, Yang trying to stay awake, and Ruby listening with the occasional note being written down.

"…And with the Grimm thoroughly subdued with the duck tape, I used this chance to beat it to death with the ruler…The moral of the story is that a huntsmen must be creative and use whatever he or she has at their disposal," Port ends his story. Just then, the bell for the end of class goes off. "Ah perfect timing, well then see you next class. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and stay vigilant," Port says.

The students all sigh in relief at finally having their freedom back as they leave the room. Team RVWBY leave to head back to their dorm to change for lunch. Ruby walks beside Velvet.

"Hey Velvet, can I ask you something?" she asks.

"Shoot," Velvet says.

"Where did you get your weapons? Did you make them yourself?" Ruby asks.

"No, I didn't make them. I…got them back home as a means of defending myself. They've come in handy over time," Velvet replies.

"Okay. You ever thought about getting them modified or upgraded?" she asks again.

"No. Why?" Velvet replies.

Ruby fidgets with her hands, "Well, I was wondering…Would you like me to make a new weapon for you? It can even be a stronger version of them," Ruby offers.

"You want to make me a weapons? Can you even do that?" Velvet asks, raising an eyebrow.

Yang pops in, "You bet. In fact, it was Ruby who designed her own weapon, Crescent Rose," Yang mentions.

Velvet looks back to Ruby, "You made your weapon?" she asks, a little disbelief in her voice.

Ruby nods, "Yep. That's why she's my sweetheart," Ruby replies, hands clasped together with a goofy smile on her face.

"Yeah, Ruby's a real weapons freak," Yang teases her.

"Hey! I just really like weapons okay!" Ruby retorts.

"I think 'like' is a bit of an understatement," Weiss adds, smirking.

"Come on, not you too, Weiss!" Ruby pouts.

"I'm surprised she doesn't sleep with her scythe," Blake says, smirking as well.

Ruby looks at her with a look of betrayal and then hangs her head in defeat. A moment later, she picks herself back up and looks back at Velvet.

"So, what do you think? Wanna give it a shot?" Ruby asks.

Velvet looks up and thinks about it, _"I'm fine with my current setup, but then again there may come a situation where my blades may not be enough. Hm…"_ Velvet continues to think until Ruby gets in front of her and does her puppy dog eye routine again.

"Please…" she stresses, adding tears in the corner of her eyes for added effect.

Velvet looks away, but Ruby keeps the look going as she inches closer to Velvet.

Velvet winches, _"Again, that is not fair,"_ she thinks and sighs, "Fine. Let's see what you got," she relents. Ruby replaces the look with a smile and giggles as she walks ahead of the team. "I swear, that look should be illegal," Velvet notes.

Yang snickers, "You're telling me. Can't tell you how many times that worked on me. Hopefully, someday you'll build up an immunity to it," Yang says and they continue on their way.

The team return to their dorm and get changed for lunch. However, as they're about to leave, Yang notices Ruby and Velvet are not following.

Aren't you two coming with us?" she asks.

"Uh, no I kind of want to get started working on some designs for Velvet's new weapon and I need her here to get her input. You three go on ahead. Just bring us both back something to eat, okay?" Ruby informs them.

"Oh, okay, sure. We'll bring you back something to eat," Yang says as she, Weiss, and Blake take their leave.

"Oh boy, Velvet's in for it now," Yang says.

This makes both Weiss and Blake curious, "What makes you say that?" Weiss asks.

"You haven't seen Ruby when she's in 'weapon geek' mode," Yang adds.

…

Velvet sits on her bed as she watches Ruby pull out a sketchbook and some pencils before she sits beside her.

"So before I can actually forge your weapon, I need to get an idea of what it would look like. So, first, what would you prefer your weapon to be like?" she asks.

"…Well, I'm pretty used to my blades. I'd like to keep my foot blades since they're in my boots anyway, but I guess we can do something about my gauntlet blade. I guess I'd like it to be as light as it is now, or at least close to it so it doesn't way me down," Velvet starts off.

Ruby jots down some notes and starts sketching out some ideas.

"Okay, well luckily I can find metals that are strong, but light as well. How about the blade itself; would you like it to be a little longer? That would give you better reach with it," Ruby suggests.

"I guess that could work. As long as it doesn't get in the way of how I usually fight," Velvet says.

"Oh, don't worry. I can make a blade that will adjust its length to your preference. That will give it more versatility," Ruby says as she draws some more designs. Velvet tries to sneak a peek, but Ruby moves her sketchbook out of her sight. "No, I want it to be a surprise, so no peeking," Ruby says, causing Velvet to lean back. "How about a gun modification as well. A running gimmick with huntsmen weapons is the ability to transform between a blade and a gun. I can probably do something similar to Yang's Ember Celica. How does that sound?" Ruby asks.

"That could work I guess. I'm more used to fighting up close and of course I have my semblance to handle ranged attacks, but if you can make it work, I guess it'll be fine," Velvet decides.

"Okay. Don't worry, I'll do something light like with Blake's pistol," Ruby notes as she jots down more designs into her sketchbook. "Okay, I should have all I need here. The next part will be building it. Luckily, they have a forge here and metals that students can use for their weapons. It'll take some time, but I should have it done soon enough," Ruby says as she closes her sketchbook. "Thanks Velvet," she thanks her.

"For what?" Velvet asks.

"For giving me this opportunity. I love weapons and it was so much fun building Crescent Rose. It's been a while since I last forged a weapon, so thanks," Ruby says.

"Um, okay," Velvet replies, a little confused.

Ruby stretches her arms and lays back on the bed, "All this designing and sketching has made me a little tired. I think I'll take a little nap. Wake me up when the others get back, okay?" Ruby says as she starts to doze off.

"Um, Ruby, don't you think you should-," Velvet begins, but sees Ruby already asleep and stops. "Or not." Velvet takes this opportunity to gaze at Ruby as she sleeps, hearing the light breathing from her. Velvet uses her left hand to stroke some strands of hair off of Ruby's face, who unconsciously snuggles into her hand. Velvet can't help but let a small smile appear as she watches Ruby sleep. _"She certainly is unique, I'll give her that."_

…

A few days later since then, Ruby has spent any extra time she had to work in the forge, creating Velvet's new weapon, so the rest of the team did not see her much, though they understood why. For now, Velvet is in another class, History of Remnant, watching the teacher zip around the room. The teacher as spikey green hair, wears glasses, a white long sleeved shirt with a loose yellow tie, and a cup in his hand. The teacher, named Dr. Oobleck, zooms around the room as the students attempt to keep up with his speed, both with his feet and his mouth. Her teammates Weiss and Blake are with her, along with Team JNPR, though Jaune is currently sleeping.

"Yes. Yes, prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution, more popularly known as the Faunus War, humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralizing Faunus population in Managery," Dr. Oobleck quickly says before taking a drink from his cup.

 _"I'm starting to think all the teachers here are nuts in one way or another,"_ Velvet thinks as she tries to keep up.

"Now, while this must feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively recent events. Why the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day," Oobleck quickly continues as he takes another sip of his drink. "Now, have any among you been subjugated or discriminated because of your Faunus heritage?" he asks his class. Velvet Scarlatina is also in this class, but makes no movement. However, when another random student in the class raises his hand, she hesitantly raises hers. "Dreadful, simply dreadful. Remember students, it is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence. I mean, I mean, just look at what happened to the White Fang," Oobleck says.

" _While I can sort of understand their anger, I don't agree with what they've been doing lately. Even I wasn't that bad back home,"_ Velvet notes as she listens to the lecture.

"Now, which one of you young scholars can tell me what many theorists believe to be the turning point in the third year of the war?" Oobleck asks his students until Weiss raises her hand. "Yes?"

"The battle at Fort Castle," she answers.

"Precisely! And, who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune's forces?" Dr. Oobleck further asks.

By this point, Jaune is still asleep until Cardin, from the seat behind him, flicks a folded up piece of paper onto Jaune's head that causes him to stir and wake up.

"Hey," Jaune says, recovering from his beauty sleep.

"Mr. Arc, finally contributing to class. This is excellent, EXCELLENT! What is the answer?" Oobleck asks him when he gets right in front of Jaune's seat.

"Uh, the answer…," Jaune begins while eyeing Pyrrha from behind Dr. Oobleck for some help since he did not know the correct answer. "…The advantage the Faunus…" he hears Pyrrha grunt and looks over to see her pointing at her eyes. "…over that guys stuff…," he looks to see Pyrrha forming circles around her eyes with her hands. "…Uh, binoculars," he finally answers, thinking he got it right.

Most of the people in the class laugh, except for Velvet and Pyrrha who facepalm, and Dr. Oobleck who shakes his head.

"Very funny, Mr. Arc. Cardin, perhaps you would care to share your thoughts on the subject," Oobleck motions to Cardin, who is leaning back in his chair with his legs on the desk.

"Well, I know it's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier," Cardin says, making Oobleck shake his head at Cardin's racial comment.

"You're not the most open-minded of individuals, are you Cardin?" Pyrrha rhetorically asks, getting irritated at Cardin.

"What? You got a problem?" Cardin begrudgingly asks back.

"No. I have the answer. It's night vision. Many Faunus are known to have nearly perfect sight in the dark," Pyrrha answers correctly, making Cardin growl in anger.

"General Lagune was inexperienced, and made the mistake of trying to ambush the Faunus in their sleep. His massive army was outmatched and the general was captured," Blake adds.

"He underestimated his enemy, and it costed him. Maybe if he bothered to learn more about the Faunus, like a certain else me know, he wouldn't have been humiliated like he was," Velvet finishes, glancing at Cardin.

This makes Cardin growl as he stands up with his hands clenched.

"Mr. Winchester, please take your seat," Oobleck instructs him before moving in front of Jaune who was laughing at Cardin. "You AND Mr. Arc can both see me after class for additional readings," he says, much to Jaune's dismay. "Now, moving on."

After the class ended, the two teams leave the room, but Pyrrha holds back.

"You guys go on ahead. I'm gonna wait for Jaune," she says, to which they nod and leave.

"Jaune's been having a lot of trouble with his classes, hasn't he?" Velvet asks Ren.

"Yes, but that's normal. Give him a little time and he'll catch up. Don't worry," he replies.

"He got into Beacon Academy. He should be doing better than this. As your leader, he needs to be held to a higher standard," Weiss comments.

"Was that for Jaune or our leader?" Blake asks.

"More so for Jaune than Ruby. The dolt still has much to learn, but at least she's doing a lot better than when this semester started," Weiss answers as they continue on their way, while Velvet thinks on this.

The group return to their dorms, but just as they're about to enter, Ruby suddenly rushes towards them while carrying a briefcase, sliding on the floor as she passes them to stop. She then moves right in front of Velvet.

"Velvet! Velvet! Velvet! I finally did it! I made you're new weapon. It's ready now!" She shouts, full of excitement.

"Um…okay. That's good news," Velvet replies.

Ruby grabs her hand, "Come on, you have to get changed and then we're heading to the training room so you can test it. Let's go now!" she says and drags Velvet into their dorm room.

"Still think she can be held to a higher standard?" Blake asks Weiss as a joke.

Weiss just laughs nervously.

…

A few minutes later, Velvet and Ruby are in the training room, with Velvet in her usual attire. Ruby sets up some training dummies and then grabs the briefcase to give to Velvet.

"Here you go Velvet, you're new weapon," Ruby says and opens the case.

Velvet looks inside to see a gauntlet slightly bigger than her own. The gauntlet has what looks like a gun mechanism on top with small caliber Dust rounds around the body of it. The gun barrel is black, the middle of the body is silver, and the rest is red. Velvet puts it on and flexes her fingers, allowing a 2 ½ foot segmented blade to pop out. The blade itself is black in color, but with a dark red edging added to it. Velvet takes a few swings and is surprised to feel how light it is.

"The whole thing feels so light. How did you do this?" Velvet asks.

"Oh, like I said, they have metals here that are strong, but not too heavy, so it wasn't too hard. The blade is segmented like you asked, allowing it to go up to three feet long in length. This is just the default length. The gun mechanism is similar in ammo loading to Yang's Ember Celica, but has around the same power as Blake's Gambol Shroud. This way, it gives you another option when you fight. So, what do you think?" Ruby asks, hands clasped together.

Velvet holds the blade close to her face and smiles, "I think this will do nicely. Thanks Ruby," she says.

Ruby gets a huge smile from this, "Awesome! I'm glad you like it. Now all we have to do is give it a name and then test it out. I decided to leave that to you since it's your weapon," Ruby says.

"Name it?" Velvet asks.

"Yeah, lime how I named my scythe Crescent Rose. Huntsmen usually name their weapons. So, what would you like its name to be?" she asks.

Velvet looks upon her new weapon and thinks over some ideas. Eventually she decides on one.

"I'll name it…Lethal Pain," she decides.

* * *

 **Well, that's chapter 9. If you're wondering what Velvet's new weapon looks like, look up Gaius Van Baelsar from Final Fantasy 14 and check out his left gauntlet. It's basically a combination of that with Velvet's gauntlet, plus the added details above, so I do not own his weapon. I decided to use the name of her mystic arte because I thought it would fit, So just in case, I don't own the name. Also, I'm trying to figure out what would be a good ability for Velvet's TRUE semblance since it isn't her demon arm, and yes, she will have a semblance. Give me some semblance ideas in your reviews please. Anyway, until next time. Please Read and Review.**


	10. Chapter 10: A Little Chat (sort of)

**I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Thanks for all the ideas you guys have posted for Velvet's semblance so far. I haven't decided on one yet, but I will soon so keep them coming. Anyway, here's chapter 10. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: A Little Pep Talk (sort of)**

Velvet and Ruby are returning to their dorm room after a session of training with her new weapon, Lethal Pain, which she has strapped to her right arm, though she decided to keep her old blade as a backup just in case.

"Well, it looks like you've really gotten the hang of using your new weapon, Velvet. I'm glad it turned out well," Ruby says.

Velvet looks at her gauntlet, "It feels just like my old blade, but stronger, so I haven't had much issue with using it. Thanks again for this Ruby," Velvet replies.

Ruby rubs her head and blushes out of embarrassment a little bit, "Oh, stop it. I was just happy to help you out. We're friends and friends help each other out," she says.

As they near their dorm room, Velvet notices Team JNPR, except for Jaune, heading their way. She also notices the despondent look on Pyrrha's face.

"Ruby, you go on ahead. I need to talk to Pyrrha about something," she says and starts to walk away.

"Talk about what?" she asks.

"Nothing special. I won't be long," Velvet replies.

Ruby hums a moment but nods, "Okay. Say hi for me," she says and enters their dorm room.

Ren and Nora wave to Velvet, who nods to them, but Pyrrha doesn't notice until Velvet stops right in front of her.

Pyrrha looks up and then notices, "Oh, Velvet, I'm sorry. I didn't notice you were there. Can I help you?" she asks.

"We need to talk. Now," Velvet says, and immediately grabs Pyrrha's arm and starts dragging her off somewhere.

…

The two girls end up on the roof of their dorm building with no prying eyes or ears around.

"Velvet, why did you bring me up here?" she asks, wrapping her arms around herself defensively.

"You need to tell me what's been bothering you. So start talking," Velvet half-demands.

"Velvet, I-I'm fine. It's nothing you need to worry about," Pyrrha tries to play it off.

"So there IS something. That something wouldn't happen to involve Jaune, would it?" Velvet asks, already knowing the answer.

Pyrrha's eyes widen a bit, but she looks away, "I don't know what you mean. Jaune is fine…He's just fine," Pyrrha mutters the last part, a pained expression showing.

"Right, and the fact that he's been hanging out with you guys a lot less, and hanging out with that overgrown monkey, Cardin Winchester, has nothing to do with it," Velvet replies with sarcasm.

Pyrrha starts to step back, "I-I don't-," she begins before Velvet grabs her by her armor and pulls her face close to look her straight in the eye.

"Enough crap. Start talking. What the Hell is going on with you guys?" Velvet demands.

Seeing that she could not escape, Pyrrha sighs and explains what happened.

…

Back in Team RVWBY's room, everyone is busy doing their own thing until Yang looks at Ruby.

"Where's Velvet anyway? Weren't you guys coming back from the training room together?" she asks.

Ruby looks up from her textbook, "Uh, yeah we were, but as we got back, she noticed Team JNPR coming back and said she had to talk to Pyrrha about something. Said that it wasn't a big deal and I should go on ahead," Ruby says.

"Pyrrha, huh? I've noticed that she doesn't really have her usual happy attitude the past few days. She and Jaune haven't talked much either. Maybe she wanted to talk to Pyrrha about that?" Yang suggests.

At this point, Blake joins in, "…You know, we don't know all that much about Velvet, don you think?" she says.

"I'm sure she has her reasons. We just have to give her time. Although…"Ruby drags out.

"What is it, Ruby," Weiss asks, getting in on the conversation.

"After her sparring match with Yang a while back, I found her on the roof of our dorm building. I was about to talk to her when she said she was a monster. She told me that when she got her semblance, everyone she knew back home hated her, called her a monster, and were afraid of her. She looked like she hated her semblance, calling it a curse," Ruby explains, looking down in sadness.

This makes everyone look a little sorrowful.

"On her initiation day, I had breakfast with her. The way she reacted when she started eating a simple breakfast, it looked like she hadn't tasted any real food in a long time, and she said as much. Make me wonder exactly how long that amount of time was," Blake adds.

"When I talked with her in the library, before we tried our little Dust experiment, we were explaining our own reasons for being here. We all know that huntsmen and huntresses are supposed to protect the people. She said that wasn't so bad, but she also said she was mainly her at Beacon for one person in particular, though she wouldn't tell me who," Weiss says.

"…When I fought her during our sparring match, I could tell that she had a lot of experience, and that she wasn't going 100% throughout the whole match. It was a little scary to be honest. I can only imagine how much fighting she had to do before we met her," Yang finishes.

After explaining all their own experiences with Velvet, the girls look down as they contemplate what they just went over.

 _"Velvet…"_ Ruby muses with concern.

…

"…And we haven't really talked to each other since," Pyrrha says as she finishes explaining her story to Velvet.

Velvet holds her chin in one hand as she thinks about what Pyrrha told her.

"…So the idiot faked his way into Beacon, and let some stupid macho crap run his mouth for him, and now he's been hanging out with Cardin. If I were to guess, I think Cardin may have overheard your conversation and blackmailed Jaune into being his little pet," Velvet figures out.

"What do we do about it then? I want to help Jaune, but he's made it perfectly clear he doesn't want my help, and I'm still a little upset with him as well," Pyrrha wonders.

"…Let me see what I can do for now. I'll have a little chat with Jaune," Velvet decides.

"If you want to help him, I don't think he'll accept," Pyrrha counters.

"I won't exactly be 'helping' him. However, after I do what I need to do, the rest will be up to him," Velvet says and starts to walk away.

"Velvet…" she catches her attention. "…Thank you," she says.

Velvet nods to her, "Don't mention it," she says and leaves.

…

Later that night, Jaune is on his way back to his dorm after running another errand for Cardin.

 _"Man, Cardin's been running me ragged, and Pyrrha won't even talk to me…I starting to think I made a big mistake in coming here,"_ Jaune thinks as he goes on his way. As he turns one corner to head to his room, he sees Velvet leaning against the wall before noticing him. "Uh, hey Velvet. What are you doing here?" he asks.

Velvet leans off the wall and walks up to him, "We need to talk," she says.

Jaune rubs his head, "Um, I'm not sure I'm in a talking mood right now. I just want to get back to my dorm and-," Jaune begins before Velvet grabs his head with her demon claw.

"That wasn't a request," she mutters darkly and begins to drag Jaune off to who-knows-where.

A few minutes later, the two are found in one of the training rooms as Velvet throws Jaune onto the floor before deactivating her demon arm.

"W-what *cough* what was that about?" he coughs out.

"That was about you being an idiot and hurting Pyrrha when she was just trying to help you," Velvet replies.

This makes Jaune's eyes widen, "You mean…You know. Pyrrha told you!" he freaks out.

"Every last detail. Personally I don't care about how you got here. What pisses me off though was you hurting your teammate rather than let her help you," Velvet says.

Jaune stands up and starts to get a little angry, "You wouldn't understand. You've got all these cool powers and abilities. You got into this school easy. And you did it all on your own. I need to do that to, otherwise how can I be a hero like my family before me!?" Jaune shouts.

Velvet strides up to him…only to punch him hard in the gut, making him gasp for breath as she leans in close.

"You think I got here all on my own?" she whispers before throwing him back onto the ground. She then picks him up again, only to punch him back a few feet. "News flash, I didn't get this strong on my own. I admit, at first I wanted to handle things myself…in order to pursue my goals," she starts as Jaune gets up and tries to punch her, only for Velvet to dodge and kick him back. "But over time, I gained allies that helped me through thick and thin, people who were always there to back me up," she continues as she spin kicks Jaune again, making him roll on the floor. "People who I eventually learned to call friends…And now I'm a part of Team RVWBY. I got these new abilities and weapons, not by myself, but because of them," she ends as she picks Jaune up by his shirt. "I'm here because of them, just like you're here because of your teammates," she says as she drops him onto the floor. "You want to be a hero, Jaune? Then let your teammates help…Heroes can't do anything on their own," Velvet concludes as she walks away.

Jaune sits up and looks down as he thinks about Velvet's words.

…

The next day, Teams RVWBY, JNPR, and CRDL are seen walking with Professor Goodwitch through the Forever Fall Forest. The students take in the scenery with excitement.

 _"Didn't really have anything like this back home,"_ Velvet notes as she watches the leaves fall from the trees.

"Yes students, the Forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful, but we are not here to sight-see," Professor Goodwitch explains, even though the students can't help but admire the landscape. "Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so."

Goodwitch turns around and everyone stops in front of her. However, Jaune doesn't notice and collides into Cardin's back while carrying a cardboard box and seven empty jars. Cardin looks back and growls, making Jaune nervously laugh and begin to whistle while avoiding his gaze.

"Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap," Goodwitch instructs the class while holding a jar filled with red sap. "However, this forest is full of the Creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here at 4:00. Have fun!" Goodwitch says as they begin their assignment.

Jaune tries to sneak away, but Cardin grabs him by his hood, "Come on, buddy, let's go," he says.

Jaune sadly look over to Pyrrha who watches back as the others move to their positions. Jaune hangs his head and begins following Cardin. Pyrrha looks on, sad, and sighs before joining the rest of her teammates.

"You alright Pyrrha?" Velvet asks as Pyrrha joins them.

Pyrrha sighs again, "Sort of. I don't think your talk with Jaune helped much," she says.

"Like I told you, I'd have a chat with him. But in the end, he'll have to figure this out himself. He is an idiot after all," Velvet shrugs her shoulders and gets on with the assignment.

Meanwhile, with Team CRDL, the team members are just lounging around, sitting on their butts until Jaune comes back with seven jars filled with red sap. He drops the jars on the ground, stands a moment, looking tired, before falling flat on the ground, exhausted.

"Hey, great work, Jauney-boy. Now, that wasn't too hard, was it?" Cardin says.

"I think I'm allergic to this stuff," Jaune says, his face looking slightly swollen.

"Greeaatt, great, great. So, Jaune, I bet you're asking yourself 'Why did my buddy Cardin ask me to collect seven jars of tree sap when there's only five of us?'" Cardin says as his team stands around Jaune.

"That is one of the many questions I have asked myself today, yes," Jaune replies before sitting up.

"Well, come with me, and you'll find out," Cardin says, smiling.

"Ooohhh," Jaune gulps.

The five of them sit up on a hill overlooking the other three teams collecting their sap, with Jaune in between Cardin and Russel Thrush. They look to see that everyone has collected the sap they need or are almost done with their assignment. Down there, Ren is giving a full jar of red sap to Nora, who gives him an empty jar to fill while eyeing the red sap. As Ren is filling the second jar, slurping sounds can be heard behind him, and when he turns around with a full jar of red sap to Nora, he sees her jar empty, and red sap on her face, making him angry. Meanwhile, Velvet is finishing up her jar, but turns around as Yang tries to smear some sap onto her face and grabs her arm, looking unamused while Yang giggles nervously.

"Cardin, what's going on?" Jaune asks him.

"Payback," Cardin answers without looking at him.

"…Pyrrha and…Velvet?" Jaune mutters, looking to the two as they collect their sap.

"What are you-," Jaune starts.

"That's them. Red-haired know-it-all thinks she's so smart. And that black-haired chick thinks she can humiliate me," Cardin says before pulling out the cardboard box from earlier, showing a big, black "W" on the side, buzzing sounds heard from within. "Alright, boys. Last night, old Jaune here managed to round up an entire box full of Rapier Wasps. And now, we're gonna put them to work," Cardin says, while Russel pats Jaune on the back, and Jaune having a fearful expression on his face. "Now according to one of the essays you wrote for me last week, these nasty things love sweets. I'm thinking it's time we teach those two a thing or two," he says as they all get up and shoves a jar of sap at Jaune. "And YOU'RE gonna do it," he declares.

"Do what?" Jaune asks.

"Hit them with the sap, either that, or I'll have a chat with Goodwitch, and you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon," Cardin says.

Jaune looks down at the jar of sap in his hands before looking back at Team CRDL, all looking back at him with smug smiles on their faces, and turns towards Pyrrha, taking a throwing stance. He stares at her while his hand is shaking, seeing her smiling. He hesitates for a moment before getting a determined look in his eye.

"…No," he says, dropping his stance.

"What did you say?" Cardin asks, his team shocked.

Jaune's hand shakes with anger, "I said…NO!" he yells before throwing the jar at Cardin.

He then gets a scared look on his face as he sees the jar broken and sap all over Cardin's chestplate armor.

Cardin chuckles, "You've done it now," he says.

Jaune laughs nervously as Team CRDL grab his shoulders and pull him towards them.

…

Back with the other teams, they have collected the rest of the sap they needed…after getting Nora to stop eating the rest of it until they get back. Velvet and Ruby notice Pyrrha looking melancholy and stride up to her.

"Pyrrha, are you okay?" Ruby asks.

This gets Pyrrha out of her stupor, "Huh? Oh, yeah I'm fine. Just-," she begins before a loud roar is heard from nearby.

"Did you guys hear that?" Yang asks as they all look around.

A second later, three members of Team CRDL are seen running towards them.

"Ursa! Ursa!" Russel yells as they run past them, only for him to crash into Yang who picks him up like the collision never happened.

"What?! Where?!" she demands.

Russel points behind him, "Back there, it's got Cardin!" he yells.

Pyrrha then drops a sap jar, "Jaune!" she says before Yang drops Russel and he runs off.

Ruby moves into action, "Yang, you and Blake, go get Professor Goodwitch!" she orders her sister as Russel gets out of her grip before Yang and Blake move to find Goodwitch.

"You two, go with them! There could be more," Pyrrha commands Ren and Nora while taking out her weapon along with Ruby and Velvet.

The four girls run to where they heard the sound and see Cardin crawling away from an Ursa Major. He tries to defend himself with his mace, but the Grimm knocks it out of his hand. Just when the Grimm is about to kill him, Jaune suddenly jumps in to block the attack with his shield. Weiss prepares to join the fight, but Pyrrha stops her.

"Wait," she says.

Jaune pushes the Grimm's claw back, and swings his sword, hitting its chest, making it stumble back. The Grimm regains its footing before attacking Jaune with its right claw, but Jaune rolls out of the way. It attacks again with its left claw, but Jaune jumps over it, making it hit the ground. The Grimm quickly attacks with its right claw at Jaune while he is in mid-air, and knocks Jaune back onto the ground. Jaune quickly rolls back onto his feet and charges at the Ursa Major, jumping in the air at it, only for the Ursa Major to hit him again in mid-air with its left claw, knocking Jaune back onto the ground. Jaune slowly gets back on his feet and looks at his scroll, seeing it showing his aura level at the red. Jaune looks back at the Ursa Major before charging back at it as the Grimm charges at him. As they get close, everything goes into slow motion as Jaune swings his sword while the Grimm swings its right claw. Still in slow motion, Pyrrha notices that Jaune has his shield lowered and is going to get hit. As the two opponents get closer, Pyrrha raised her left hand as black energy flow around it. Suddenly, Jaune's shield is encased in that same black energy, and is pulled upwards. The shield blocks the Grimm's attack, and Jaune sets one foot don on the ground before performing one more swing with his sword that slices the Grimm's entire head off of its body, killing it. The slow motion scene ends as the Grimm's body and decapitated head fall to the ground, and Pyrrha lowers her hand, smiling.

"Uh, what?" Ruby asks in confusion.

"How did you-," Weis slowly begins to ask Pyrrha.

"Well, Ruby has her speed, you have your glyphs, and Velvet has her claw. My semblance…is polarity," she informs them.

"Oh, you can control poles," Ruby mutters in awe.

"No, you dunce. It means she has control over magnetism," Weiss corrects her.

"Magnets are cool, too," Ruby mutters as Pyrrha turns to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?" Weiss asks her.

"Yeah, we gotta tell them what happened," Ruby says.

"We could…," Pyrrha begins as she looks over to Jaune who sheaths his blade. "…Or perhaps we could just keep it our little secret."

However, another Ursa Major appears along with two Ursai flanking it. Jaune steps back as Cardin runs away, preparing to fight, but Velvet steps in front of him.

"You've had your fun. Now it's my turn. This way I can test out my new blade in a real fight," she says as she prepares her arm blade.

The Grimm charge her, and she runs at them while firing off her gauntlet's gun at the left Ursa, the shots hitting in in the head a few times before it dies. She jumps over the Ursa Major as it tries to strike her with its claws, and lands behind it. The second Ursa jumps at her, but she spins over it, swinging her blade several times in order to slice the Grimm into several pieces. As she lands back on the ground, the Ursa Major swings its right claw at her, but she stops it with her demon claw with ease. Conjuring up a fire arte, she blows up the Grimm's right arm and then stabs it in the head with her blade. She pulls out the blade as the dead Grimm falls onto the ground.

Velvet sheathes her blade, "Not bad for a live test," she says as she walks back to the group.

"Nice job Velvet," Ruby cheers for her, to which Velvet smiles back.

…

Later that night, Team RVWBY were in their dorm room, getting ready to head in after a long day from the field trip, however Ruby notices Velvet still in her regular attire getting ready to leave the room.

"Hey Velvet, where are you going?" she asks.

"Oh, don't worry. Just going to see Nora about something. I won't be long," she says and closes the door. She knocks on Team JNPR's door, and Nora ends up opening the door. "Hey Nora," she greets her.

"Hey Velvet, what's up?" she asks.

"Nothing. Just thought I could use your help with something. Do you have your weapon with you?" she asks.

"Yeah. Why?" she asks back.

Velvet just smiles…

…

The next morning, Velvet and Nora are in Ozpin's office, with Goodwitch looking almost livid.

"So why are we here again?" Velvet asks, arms crossed.

"We are here, Miss Crowe, because Cardin Winchester is in the medical center, with BOTH of his legs broken. And he said you and Miss Valkyrie here were behind it. Care to explain yourselves?" she interrogates them while Ozpin tries to hide his smile behind his coffee mug.

Velvet shrugs her shoulders, "Wasn't our fault," she nonchalantly answers…

* * *

 **And there's Chapter 10. Keep those semblance ideas coming people, because I won't have her semblance be known for a while. Thank you to those who have been following me. I'll have chapter 11 up soon enough. Please Read and Review. Happy Memorial Day!**


	11. Chapter 11: Secrets

**Here we are at Chapter 11. Time for some one-on-one time between Velvet and Blake. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's Chapter 11. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Secrets**

Ever since the field trip incident, Team RVWBY has noticed how Jaune and Pyrrha are talking to each other again, and how Pyrrha was smiling like she usually does. Even better is the fact that Cardin Winchester has been leaving him, and the two teams alone, although that is mostly due to his fear of both Nora and Velvet and looking to keep his limbs intact from now on. For now, the two teams are leaving their history class with Dr. Oobleck as they return to their dorms for the day.

"I'm still having a hard time keeping up with his class. There's so much to remember and he goes through it all so fast," Jaune complains.

"What are you whining about? I'm having no trouble keeping up with him. It's easy," Weiss comments.

"That's because you study twenty hours a day," Velvet exaggerates, making Blake chuckle.

"Quiet you. I'm just a very studious person. I want to pass all my classes with the highest grades possible…If only I could say the same for the rest of my team," Weiss retorts.

"For your information, Ruby, Velvet, and I have been doing fine in our classes. The only one on our team who has some trouble with a few classes is Yang, though not by much," Blake says.

"Not everyone holds themselves to your high-society standards, Weiss. We may not have grades as high as yours, but they're still good grades. Let it go," Velvet adds.

"Hmph, whatever," Weiss pouts, turning her head away.

"Excuse me, Velvet," Pyrrha calls her on her right.

"Yes?" she replies.

"I just wanted to thank you again for helping me with Jaune. Whatever you said must've really helped, so thanks," Pyrrha says.

Jaune then joins in, "Said to me', more like what she DID to me. She grabbed my face with her demon arm, dragged me to the training room, and tossed me around like a ragdoll," Jaune corrects them.

Velvet rolls her eyes, "Not my fault you fight like a weakling," Velvet says, making Jaune groan in response.

Pyrrha chuckles, "Don't worry about that. I'm going to help train him so he can be a better fighter. That way he'll be ready for anything in the near future," she explains.

"Hm. We'll see how that turns out," Velvet notes as they continue on their way.

…

Later that night, all members of Team RVWBY are in their dorm room, having a little study session for their classes.

"Okay, is anyone else confused by this other than me?" Yang asks, scratching her head.

"Ugh! It's not that complicated, Yang! Vacuo's system of government is that there really isn't a strong government system to speak of. The only true authority there is their huntsmen academy, Shade Academy," Weiss teaches her.

"Yeah, I get that, but how can a kingdom operate successfully with just the school imposing some kind of law and order? I mean, doesn't it just become a messed up place of crime and mayhem?" Yang asks.

"Maybe that's how it can operate the way it does," Velvet notes, getting their attention. "Think about it; most of the people there are lowlifes, mercenaries, and even some criminals. However, it is said that they all follow the same philosophy: if you can survive here, you can live here. People who all have the same kind of thinking tend to get along more easily than other people," she explains.

"She's right. They could get along like this without much assistance from the Kingdom's council, which I'm sure they wouldn't really trust that much. Of course, they know not to do anything that would get the attention of a school full of trained huntsmen, or else they would be in big trouble. I guess that's basically how it works. Every kingdom, though designed with the same basic governmental structure, still operates in their own way, and this is Vacuo's," Blake explains.

"Does that help you a little bit Yang?" Ruby asks.

"Yeah, I guess so. Good thing I was born in Patch and come to this school, in this kingdom," Yang replies.

"I hope so. Geez, you're sister got into this school two years early, and yet she's ahead of you in her grades. I'd like to know how that's possible," Weiss notes.

This gets Velvet's attention, "Oh yeah, Professor Ozpin said that while most students first come here when they're seventeen, Ruby got in two years early. How did that happen exactly?" she asks.

"I stopped a Dust shop robbery by Roman Torchwick. Professor Goodwitch came in and helped me, but he got away. After that, I met Professor Ozpin. He was so impressed with my scythe skills that he moved me up two years into Beacon. Sometimes I still can't believe it," Ruby explains.

"Yeah, and then you and Weiss literally exploded a hole in front of the school," Yang teases, much to the two members' displeasure.

"Yang! I told you to stop talking about that!" Ruby whines.

"Explain, please," Velvet asks, raising one eyebrow.

"Ruby accidently fell on Weiss' luggage, Weiss got mad and started waving a vial of red Dust that was leaking it, Ruby sniffed it and sneezed, causing an explosion, and Weiss started yelling at her some more before I stepped in to diffuse the situation and then left myself, "Blake tells her.

This makes Velvet somewhat glare at Weiss, "Was that really necessary?" she questions her.

Weiss shrinks back a little from the gaze, "When I look back at it now, I realize I may have gone a little overboard-," she begins.

"A little?" Blake stops her.

"Okay, a lot. But I've learned my lesson, and I can see that Ruby deserves to be hear and Ozpin made the right call in choosing her as leader," Weiss continues.

"Aw, thanks Weiss," Ruby says, trying to hug her, but Weiss pushes her away.

Velvet drops her glare, "Good. Otherwise, I'd have to kick the crap out of you for hurting Ruby," Velvet half-jokes, half-threatens her.

"What?!" Weiss shouts while the other girls aside from Velvet giggle.

…

The next day, Velvet is returning from another training session to her dorm room. When she enters, she finds the others are gone, leaving the room empty.

"Guess they're off doing whatever it is they do at this time of day," Velvet muses as she looks around.

However, her eyes stop on Blake's bed when she notices a small bulge from underneath her bed sheets and her pillow. Deciding to take a look, she walks over and moves the sheets and pillow to find a book hidden underneath. Picking it up, she sees what looks like a ninja on the front with the words "Ninjas of Love" in red. Looking over the book, she decides to take a look inside and opens it. For the first set of pages, the story seems like any other medieval fairy tale, but as she reads through, she gets a faint blush as she gets to the more…mature… pages in the story.

 _"I never expected Blake to be into this kind of stuff,"_ she thinks as she reads through the story.

A little while later, Blake returns, but the second she enters, her eyes fall onto Velvet, more specifically to the book in her hands. Blake's eyes widen and she blushes from embarrassment. Velvet looks at her like nothing was wrong.

"W-w-what are you doing?" she gasps.

"I should be asking you that. I never pegged you for being a fan of erotica novels, Blake. I don't know what would be worse, Yang finding out about this and teasing you about it for the rest of your life, or Ruby reading this and having Yang find out only to come and burn you alive. Personally, I find the first option to be worse," Velvet says while waving the book around.

Blake runs at her, trying to get the book back, but Velvet moves away, keeping the book out of her reach. Blake tries again using her semblance to appear at her side and makes a grab for it, but Velvet tosses the book up as Blake moves in front of her. However, her gauntlet gets snagged on Blake's bow and as she passes by her, pulls it off her head. The ribbon and the book drop as Velvet looks at Blake, only to notice a distinct pair of black cat ears on her head. Blake's face pales in horror as she tries to cover up her ears.

"I-I can explain. I…I," she tries to speak, but freezes and decides to try to run away.

However, Velvet quickly grabs her by her shirt and pulls her to the ground before going to the door to close and lock it.

"Oh no, you're not getting away that easily," she begins as she walks back to Blake, arms crossed. "So, want to explain to me why you've been hiding the fact that you're actually a Faunus from your teammates?" she interrogates her.

Blake tries to grab her bow on the floor, but Velvet stops her with her left foot being planted on the bow. Seeing no other way out, Blake sighs in defeat.

"Yes. I'm a Faunus. I wear this bow because you and I both know how most people treat Faunus. I just…I didn't want to deal with that, so I hid my Faunus traits," Blake explains, looking down in shame.

"Okay, you're love of erotica is nowhere near as bad as this. I thought you were just a little introvert, but I never thought you were a coward. Guess I was wrong," Velvet berates her.

This makes Blake get angry, "What would you know? You've never been discriminated, persecuted, and hated by most of the whole world. You could never understand what I've been through-," Blake yells until suddenly, a loud snap sound is heard.

Blake looks shocked as she realizes that Velvet just slapped her, looking aggravated herself. She grabs Blake by the collar of her shirt and pulls her face close to her own.

"You don't think I haven't been through what you went through. When I gained these abilities of mine, the people I knew back home stopped seeing me as a friend. They hated me, saw me as a monster. They even tried to have me KILLED! I've been exactly where you've been. The difference is, I was never ashamed of what I became, and I never made any real attempt to hide it. Unlike you…" Velvet growls.

Blake looks her right in the eye and sees all the emotions in them; the anger, the hate…but also the pain and sadness. Then she recalls what Ruby once told her.

 _"I was about to talk to her when she said she was a monster. She told me that when she got her semblance, everyone she knew back home hated her, called her a monster, and were afraid of her. She looked like she hated her semblance, calling it a curse"_ Ruby's words echo in her mind.

"Velvet…I…I'm sorry," Blake tries to apologize. Velvet releases her and looks away, gritting her teeth a little bit. "Ruby told us about what you said to her the night after your match with Yang. I'm sorry about how a reacted to you, even though you went through the same kind of pain I went through," Blake says.

"Whatever," Velvet mutters before looking back at Blake. "Now then, I believe you have more to say about your little secret. Because I doubt it was just because of some discrimination," Velvet replies.

Thinking Velvet deserves to know, Blake nods, "Are you familiar with the White Fang?" she asks.

"Yeah. They used to be a peaceful protest group fighting for equality for Faunus. That is until five years ago when they started becoming more violent and became an extremist group. What's your point?" she asks.

Blake sighs, "The truth is…I was once a member of the White Fang," she confesses.

Velvet raises an eyebrow, "You were a member of the White Fang?" she replies.

"That's right. I was a member for most of my life actually. You could almost say I was born into it. Back then things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between the humans and the Faunus. Of course, despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings, and so, the White Fang rose up as a voice of our people. And I was there. I was at the front of every rally, I took part in every boycott, and I actually thought we were making a difference, but I was just a youthful optimist. Then, five years ago, our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader with a new way of thinking. Suddenly, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. We were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, high-jacking cargo from companies that used Faunus labor, and the worst part was; it was working. We were being treated like equals, but not out of respect, out of FEAR," Blake says while wrapping her bow around her ears. "So I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence, and instead I would dedicate my life to becoming a huntress. So, here I am, a criminal in plain sight. All with the help of a little black bow," Blake says, her bow twitching for emphasis.

Velvet crosses her arms again, "Were you ever planning on telling our other teammates?" she asks.

Blake shakes her head, "No. I can't tell them that. That their teammates used to be part of what is now practically a terrorist group. They wouldn't think of me as their friend anymore. And I know Weiss would hate me, given the history between the White Fang and her family," Blake says.

Velvet walks up to her…only to slap her again.

"You're an idiot. Now I can sort of understand not telling Weiss, but that's not fair to Ruby and Yang. I'm sure they would understand and still see you as their friend," Velvet berates her.

"You don't know that will happen," Blake retorts.

"You don't know that WON'T happen. Look, I won't tell them about this right now. But when the time comes, you need to tell them the truth and let them decide how to handle it. And if you don't tell them…Then I will. I don't like cowards, but I can sort of understand where you're coming from, just be ready to tell them when the time is right," Velvet tells her.

"So what. You still want to fight for justice and all that and decided that being a huntress would do the job since the White Fang went nuts?" she asks Blake as she sits down on her bed.

"I don't like how most humans have treated my kind, but I don't want to kill innocent people. Even Faunus who don't agree with the White Fang's newer methods are attacked and seen as enemies. I wanted equality and peace, not mindless bloodshed. So yeah, I left to become a huntress because I figures that would be the right way to achieve that goal," Blake explains as she sits down on her own bed.

Velvet thinks on this, "…Well, as ironic as it sounds, it looks like you and Weiss have similar reasons for being here," she notes.

This gets Blake's attention, "I kind of finding that hard to believe," she says.

"I'm sure she told you about our conversation in the library a while back, about my reasons for being here. Did she ever mention her reasons for coming to Beacon?" she asks, to which Blake shakes her head. "She said that she didn't agree with how her father has been running the Schnee Dust Company, which she wanted to restore her family's honor or something like that. She also wanted to try and make things better for the people that work for his company," Velvet explains.

This comes as a bit of a shock to Blake, "You're joking right? Weiss Schnee, actually wants to make things better for Faunus working for the Schnee Dust Company. Still not sure I believe that," Blake says.

Velvet then stands up and walks in front of Blake to look out the window with her arms crossed.

"Well, there's only one way to find out. And it involves your ears, but that can wait for now. Either way, your reasons are bigger than mine for being here," Velvet notes.

"…Weiss said you told her that you're here mainly for one person, but you wouldn't tell her who. Who ARE you here for?" Blake asks.

"My business," Velvet vaguely answers.

Blake grunts, "Hey, I practically told you my life story. The least you can do is tell me who you are here for, or why you're here for that person," Blake demands.

Velvet thinks about it and sighs, "…I can't tell you who that person is, but I suppose I can tell you why. The reason I'm here…is to protect that person…from anything and anyone that would attempt to harm them," Velvet admits.

This gets Blake curious, "Does that person know about why you're here?" she asks.

"No, and I'd prefer to keep it that way," Velvet says.

"Okay. Does this person know you?" She asks. _"The more I know, the closer I'll come to figuring out who she's talking about. This is too interesting to pass up."_

"Sort of. That's all I'm saying on this matter, "Velvet says. Hoping to change the subject, Velvet goes to pick up the discarded book that the two forgot about earlier, making Blake go wide-eyed at seeing it again. "Now then, what are we going to do about this?" Velvet half-questions-, half-jokes.

Blake tries to make a grab at it again, but Velvet keeps it out of her reach.

"Please Velvet, you can't let the others know about this. I'll never hear the end of it if Yang of all people finds out," she begs.

"Oh that I'm sure. Well, I suppose I could keep your little secret…if you do something for me," Velvet says.

"You're blackmailing me?!" Blake asks incredulously.

"No, business. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. Now then, do we have a deal?" Velvet asks.

Blake eventually relents with a groan, "Fine. What is it you want?" Blake asks.

Velvet tosses her the book, which Blake hastily grabs, "Just make sure you tell the others about what you're hiding under that bow soon. Do that, and we're even," Velvet answers.

"Wait, that's it?" Blake replies, confused.

"That's it. I told you, I don't like cowards, so you better grow a spine for this soon, even if I have to force you too," Velvet says.

Blake sighs, "Alright, fine…I'll tell them. I guess I should say thanks for not telling them immediately about this…about both my secrets," Blake says.

"Whatever. Though I'm sure they'll eventually find out about your erotica novels soon enough anyway," Velvet comments.

"VELVET!" Blake yells.

* * *

 **So now Velvet has had a little bonding chapter with all her teammates. I may do more of those if the future. Again, keep those semblance ideas coming, though I'm inching closer to a defensive-type semblance for her right now, so try something like that. Now Velvet knows about Blake, when will the others know? Until next time, please read and review.**


	12. Chapter 12: Bad Idea

**Here we are at Chapter 12. It's pretty cool how many people have been viewing this story, so thanks to all of you guys. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 12. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Bad Idea**

So far, Velvet has kept quiet about Blake's past, which the hidden Faunus is grateful for, but she knew she wouldn't keep it that way for long. As for her other secret, Blake has taken extra precautions into keeping her secret stash of 'romance' novels hidden from the others, especially from Ruby. God knows what would happen should she read those and have her innocence tainted. While Velvet told her about telling them soon, she couldn't help but feel like that was a bit of a hypocritical statement, given the fact that she has her own secrets from the team. Currently, Velvet muses on this while taking a shower in the dorm early in the morning before the others. Feeling the hot water cascade down her body helps clear her mind and think on certain things.

 _"Hm. I told Blake about telling the truth to the others, and yet here I am keeping secrets of my own from them. Then again, who would be more trustworthy, a Faunus or a demon? I bet if I told them that I'm from another world as well, they'd think I'm crazy. Guess I'll just have to keep it to myself for now,"_ she decides as she finishes her shower.

Turning it off, she steps out to put on a towel, only for a sudden flash and a 'click' sound to stop her. She looks to see Yang peeking in the doorway, holding her scroll.

"Got it. Shouldn't have left the door unlocked," she teases.

Yang expected Velvet to feel embarrassed like any normal girl would in this situation…but Velvet is no normal girl. Instead of freaking out, she activates her demon arm and growls at Yang.

Yang chuckles nervously, "Heh-heh-heh, uh oh," she says.

Velvet grabs Yang by the skull with it while grabbing her scroll with her other hand, drags her to the main door, quickly opens it and throws her through Team JNPR's room and closes the door.

"Better delete this before she gets any funny ideas," she says as she goes through Yang's scroll and deletes the picture. However, she then notices the other members of her team, all looking wide-eyed and with faces red as tomatoes. "What?" she asks, not caring about her condition.

"W-W-W-Will you please put some clothes on, for goodness sake!" Weiss shouts as she looks away to cover her blushed face.

Meanwhile, Blake is hiding her face behind one of her books to cover her eyes and her blushing face.

"What's the big deal? We're all girls here," Velvet replies.

"It's indecent! Just hurry up now!" Weiss screams.

"Ugh, fine," Velvet says, and retreats back into the bathroom to dry off and get changed.

During this time, Weiss notices Ruby frozen in place…and her nose bleeding.

"Ruby, are you okay? Your nose is bleeding," she says.

Ruby shakes her head back into focus and quickly gets some tissues to help stop the nose bleed.

"Oh, thanks Weiss, I didn't notice. I just…I just," Ruby trails off as her face starts turning red.

"Enjoy the view, Ruby?" Blake teases her.

"Blake! It was embarrassing! I didn't need to see Velvet naked. I saw that you two were freaked out about it, too!" she retorts.

"Yeah. But we quickly looked away while you kept on staring. Makes people wonder," she jokes, which makes Ruby groan in frustration.

A few minutes later, she comes out, fully clothed in her school uniform. "Happy now?" she asks.

Weiss slowly turns around and sighs, "Yes, much better. What is with you? Don't you have any sense of modesty?" she asks.

Velvet shrugs, "Well maybe if there were any guys in the room, but it's just us so I didn't really think about it. Besides, if anyone's to blame, it's Yang for peeking in the bathroom while I'm taking a shower," Velvet says.

A moment later, Yang walks back in, "Sorry about the surprise visit guys, see you later," she waves to Team JNPR as they leave their dorm before she closes her own door. "Did you really have to throw me into their dorm with your demon claw? I almost ended up in a wrestling match with Nora," Yang asks.

"Well then, next time, don't go taking pictures of me when I'm getting out of the shower,"

"Next time, don't leave the door unlocked," Yang counters.

Velvet activates her demon claw again, "You want to go flying out the window this time?" she threatens.

Yang holds up her hands in surrender, "Nope, I'm good. One claw flight is enough for today," Yang relents, then notices the tissues in Ruby's nostrils. "Ruby, are you okay? Did you get a nosebleed?" she asks, concerned.

"Yeah, but I'm fine. I think it stopped now," Ruby replies as she pulls out the tissues and throws them away.

Quickly, Yang gets a mischievous smirk, "Oh, I see. You got that from Velvet's little display earlier, didn't you?" she teases her.

"Yang! I wasn't expecting to start my day with seeing her naked. It startled me," she defends herself.

At this point, Velvet is getting impatient, "If you're all done, we have classes to get to," she reminds them as she begins to leave.

"Wait, what time is it?" Weiss asks.

Blake checks the time on her scroll, "It's…8:50!" Blake exclaims.

"We're gonna be late, again!" Weiss yells as they all race over to their first class.

…

Fortunately, the team made it just in time before classed started. Unfortunately, it was another session with Professor Port and his stories.

"Maybe we should've shown up late," Yang whispers as the story quickly bores her to tears.

"I second that," Blake whispers back.

Meanwhile, Ruby tries to take some notes, though the stories seem to have nothing to do with the class lessons. Her eyes soon wander to Velvet.

"Psst, Velvet," she beckons her attention.

"Hm?" she hums while trying to stay awake.

"Sorry about Yang earlier. She likes to play pranks and stuff sometimes. She did it plenty of times to me back home," Ruby apologizes.

"Eh, whatever. I had an old travel companion that loved to mess with people as well. I'm pretty used to it," Velvet says. _"Now that I think about it, Magilou and Yang would've really hit it off."_

The class period goes off without much excitement and soon the team leaves to head to their next destination. However…

"Hey, you!" they hear someone shout. They all look left to see Dive, Sky, and Russell of Team CRDL, storming their way towards them. "We gotta bone to pick with you!" Russell shouts while pointing at Velvet

"And why is that?" Velvet asks, uninterested.

"You and that hammer wielding psycho from JNPR broke our leader's legs, and it's high time you payed for it," Sky says.

"And whose gonna make her, you three idiots? When that one Ursa Major showed up during the field trip, you three ran away like gutless morons," Yang comments as she steps up beside her.

"T-T-That was only because we didn't have our weapons with us. If we did, we would've handled that Grimm easy," Dove stutters.

"Oh please, the fact that you ingrates even made it into this school is purely by luck alone. You may have some skill, and that's just me being generous, but you don't stand a chance against any of us," Weiss adds.

"Watch what you say, princess, or that pretty face of yours won't stay pretty for long," Sky threatens her.

"That's enough! You don't talk to my teammate like that!" Blake defends Weiss and steps up only for Velvet to stop her with her arm.

"Whatever you're selling, we're not buying. There's no reason for us to deal with you idiots when we got more important things to do. So quit trying to waste our time. Let's go guys," Velvet says and begins to leave with the others in tow.

"Hey, we're not done with you!" Russell shouts as he makes a grab for her.

However, Ruby gets in his way.

"Leave her alone!" she says as she gets in between him and Velvet.

"Out of my way, shrimp!" he yells and smacks her in the face.

Bad idea…

Suddenly, the temperature in the hall goes up as Yang's hair lights up.

"No one hits my sister and gets away with it!" she yells and prepares to pulverize him, but Velvet stops her. "What the Hell are you doing?! Don't tell me you-," Yang begins, but quickly stops when she sees the look in Velvet's eyes, a look that SCREAMED bloodthirsty anger.

Ruby, who was being helped up by Weiss, looks up and sees the same expression as does everyone else.

"Velvet…" she mutters.

"Listen here, you cockroaches…I don't care who they are. I don't care where they're from…No one lays a hand on Ruby and gets away with it. Not while I'm around," She darkly mutters as she stares daggers at Team CRDL. The look actually starts making the three boys shiver a little bit and take a step back. Velvet steps forward and grabs Russel by his shirt to pull him close to his face. "You wanna fight me so badly? Fine, I'll give you a fight. Next week, in Goodwitch's combat class, you idiots against me. I don't need the others to beat the crap out of you. Don't worry, I'll try not break YOUR legs as well. You miss you're leader so much? Well after I'm done with you, you'll be joining him real soon. Now, scram!" she warns him and throws him back into his teammates, who quickly make their retreat. Velvet wipes her hand together and turns to check on Ruby, losing her scary expression. "You okay, Ruby?" she asks, concerned.

Ruby rubs her cheek, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm tougher than I look. But what about you? You can't just go making fights like that. Fighting Grimm if one thing, but this is different," Ruby worries.

"I agree with her, Velvet. That punk slapped my sister, I can't just let that go. I want in on this too," Yang says.

"As do we all. You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us. We're a team. Any fight we have, it's together," Weiss adds.

"No. I started this, and I'm going to be the one to finish it. Besides if I can show that only one member of this team can defeat them, than that's more than enough reason for them to leave us alone for good. I know you all want to fight with me, but I need to do this alone. I need to know I can handle something like this on my own before I allow others to help me.

"Velvet, I still think you should let us help you," Ruby pleads.

"Do you trust me Ruby?" Velvet asks.

"Yes, of course I trust you," she replies.

"Then trust me now," Velvet says.

Her words make Ruby think about her next answer. A moment later, she gets a more determined look in her eye.

"…Alright, I'll trust you with this…We won't interfere, right guys?" she looks to the others. When they're about to retort, she stops them. "If we do help her, it would mean that we don't have faith in Velvet to win. I don't want her or anyone to think like that. Do you?" she questions them, making them all think for themselves before nodding in approval. "Then we'll let her fight. We'll be cheering for you, though. So just remember that while you may be fighting down there by yourself, you're not alone," Ruby says.

"Thank you Ruby. All of you. Don't worry, I'll send them crying to their mommies," Velvet says.

…

Next week roles by, and Goodwitch's combat class comes up. The whole class is buzzing with talk about the fight between Velvet of Team RVWBY and three members of Team CRDL. Some wanted to sneak into the class to watch, but knew better than to do that with Professor Goodwitch teaching, so they opted to have their friends who are in the class secretly record the fight with their scrolls. The rest of Team RVWBY sits up in the seats while Velvet stands in the arena. On the other side, the three members of Team CRDL stand ready, plus one more.

"Miss me, you Faunus-loving freak," Cardin Winchester says, apparently with both legs healed thanks to medical treatments and his aura. "Hope you don't mind me joining this little party," he says, looking smug as ever.

At this point, Professor Goodwitch steps up, "Despite my advice, Professor Ozpin has decided to allow this match to happen, though I will be keeping a close eye on you all. However, Mr. Winchester, you were not included in the making of this match. So unless Miss Crowe allows it, you will be sitting out of this fight. Miss Crowe will also be allowed to have one member of her team join her for this match if she decides it. Miss Crowe, what is your decision?" she asks.

"Go ahead. One more head to smack around. And I'll be fine on my own," Velvet allows it.

The other members of Team RVWBY grow concerned at Cardin being included. They know he's not that strong of a fighter, but they don't like the idea that now the match is four-on-one. However, when Ruby sees the determination and lack of concern in Velvet's eyes, she decides to support her from the stands, as do the rest of them.

"Very well, all competitors, get ready," Glynda announces. The fighters prepare their weapons. "3…2…1…Begin!" she shouts and the match begins.

The four members of Team CRDL come rushing at Velvet, while she remains stationary. Sky Lark is the first to attack as he twirls his halberd around before making a left swing at her. Velvet ducks and backflips away to evade and then jumps over Russell as he attacks and kicks him in the face. When she lands, Dove and Cardin rush at her sides. Cardin swings his mace at her, but she spin kicks it out of the way and then deflects a thrust of Dove's blade before dealing two slashes on him and then fires her gun at Cardin. Cardin blocks the shots with his mace, and then Russell comes in for another attack. Velvet parries his twin swords several times and quickly notices Sky coming at her rear. She jumps as he attacks and lands her feet on his weapon, forcing it down.

Activating her foot blades, she spins all three blades around, dealing several hits to both Sky and Russell, knocking them back. Cardin then jumps into the air to slam his mace on her, but Velvet rolls out of the way and blocks a strike from Dove's sword. Pushing the blade away, she kicks him back and then runs at Cardin. Cardin meets her charge, but when they get close, Velvet slides on the floor, knocking Cardin off his feet and sending him sliding across the floor. Dove and Russell jump over him as they charge Velvet again. Velvet fires her gun again, but the two deflect the shots with their weapons. When they get close, each one starts swinging their weapons at her. Velvet blocks the attacks with her blade, and when she sees an opening, grabs Russell's left wrist with her left hand and pulls him into Dove's path. Dove stops just before he accidently hits Russell, but Velvet uses this chance to kick Russell into Dove and then shoots Russell several times before ending it with a few spinning slash attacks that knock him out of the fight. Sky and Cardin attack Velvet from behind, but she flips over Dove and jumps back to get some distance between them.

Velvet takes this chance to grab a blue Dust crystal from a pouch on her back waist, thinking back to how she got it.

 _Flashback…_

"Here," Weiss says as she gives Velvet a black pouch.

"What's this?" she asks as she prepares her weapon in the locker room.

"Just because we can't fight with you out there doesn't mean the only thing we'll be doing is sitting up in the stands, watching you fight. This pouch has Dust crystals inside for your demon claw abilities. It'll give you an extra edge in the fight," Weiss explains.

"Um…Thanks. This'll help," Velvet says as she takes the pouch.

"Just be sure to make it extra painful for them," Weiss says.

 _Flashback ends…_

 _"Thanks Weiss. I'll put them to good use,"_ Velvet thinks. What she notices is that she doesn't feel any pain from the Dust absorption. _"Looks like my body is finally used to the Dust absorption. That's good to know."_

She activates her demon claw and absorbs the Dust crystal, causing the claw to turn a faint blue. This makes everyone in the arena, aside from Team RWVBY and Professor Goodwitch, shocked at what they're seeing.

"What the Hell?! How did you do that?! There's no way that's fair! She's cheating!" Cardin yells.

"Her semblance allows her to absorb different forms of energy through her claw. Dust is a form of energy, so it works. You'll just have to deal with it, Mr. Winchester," Glynda says as she looks on over the match.

Cardin grinds his teeth in irritation and he charges at Velvet again. Velvet aims her demon claw and fires of some ice shards at them. Cardin breaks the ones aimed at him with his mace, but Dove and Sky get hit by theirs at their legs, freezing them to the floor. Cardin swings his mace at Velvet when he gets close, but she swipes the attack away with her claw and then smacks Cardin out of her way before she runs at Sky and Dove. Both fire the gun mechanisms in their weapons at her, but she easily moves around to avoid the shots. When she gets close, she jumps up into the air, her claw encased in ice, and then slams her fist into the ground, sending large ice spikes at the two boys. The attack knocks them free of their ice shackles, and takes out the rest of their aura, eliminating them. Velvet turns around to see Cardin get back up, seething with anger at seeing her wipe the floor with them.

"Why won't you just go down?! I won't be humiliated by an animal loving freak like you!" Cardin shouts.

"From what I see, the only 'animals' here are you and your teammates. No strategy, no skill, and damn sure no intelligence. That ego of yours is your biggest problem. You underestimate everyone around you, and yet it is everyone around you that prove to be better than you," Velvet insults him. Cardin screams and charges her again, completely focused on brute strength. However, when he swings his mace downward at her, Velvet casually sidesteps the attack, knocks it out of his hands, and grabs his skull with her claw. Cardin tries to break free, but it proves fruitless. "You're strength is not even worth absorbing," Velvet says.

She picks him up and slams him into the ground, hard. The strike takes out the rest of his aura, ending the match as a buzzer sounds off.

"And that's the match. The winner is Velvet Crowe," Glynda announces as Velvet deactivates her demon claw. "Well done, Miss Crowe. You proved that you've earned your place at this academy," Glynda praises her.

"Thank you, Professor," Velvet says and leaves.

…

Later that night, Velvet is up on the dorm roof, getting some fresh air and some peace after a long day.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," she mutters.

"Velvet," she hears behind her.

"Or not," she mutters again and turns around to see Ruby in her pajamas. "What's up Ruby?" she asks.

"I wanted to see how you were doing. You did have a 4-on-1 match today after all," she notes.

"Meh, those morons were easy pickings. I didn't even need to go all out. I told you I could handle them myself," she says, but she then notices Ruby's solemn expression on her face. "What's wrong Ruby?" she asks.

"Uh, it's nothing…Well, actually…*sigh* I just don't really like how you're always fighting on your own these past few weeks. We're a team Velvet, that means that we fight together," Ruby replies.

"Ruby…" Velvet says.

"Is it because of me? Is there something that I'm not doing to be a good leader for you?" she asks, concerned.

Velvet's expression softens at this, _"Always thinking about others before yourself. That's you in a nutshell,"_ Velvet thinks. She then walks up to Ruby and surprises her by bring her into her arms in a warm embrace. "Nothing's wrong with you. You have always shown more concern for your teammates and for others than you do for yourself. You are a great leader. Don't ever forget that," Velvet encourages her, leaning her head on Ruby's head.

Blushing, Ruby slowly returns the embrace, "Thank you Velvet. I needed that," she says.

"And I promise that from now on, we'll fight together as a team," she promises Ruby.

Ruby nods her head in acceptance, _"Thank you Velvet…You're a lot nicer than you try to make yourself out to be,"_ she thinks, but then her thoughts drift to their embrace. _"To be held like this from Velvet… It feels…really nice,"_ she muses as she blushes a little more.

* * *

 **And Velvet has taken out the trash! I just couldn't resist writing a chapter where she kicks the crap out of Team CRDL. A little more bonding between Velvet and Ruby doesn't hurt either. What awaits our favorite team in the future? Until next time, please Read and Review.**


	13. Chapter 13: Tension

**The reviews, follows, and favorites keep coming, so thanks to all who have been reading my story. Now we reach the next part in the story. As a heads up, after a few more chapters, I may have to TEMPORARILY hold off on this story because I have some things to take care of in the coming weeks, but this story is far from over. Anyway, I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter thirteen. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Tension**

After Velvet's one-sided butt kicking of Team CRDL, the four idiots finally left Team RVWBY alone, much to the pleasure of the five girls. Video of the fight spread throughout the school, earning the team some fame. As a bonus, many students, especially the Faunus students, would drop by to offer their thanks for Velvet putting them in their place. Receiving all that praise was something Velvet was not used to, so she'd try to avoid it if she could and let her teammates handle the fans. Though this fame quickly became an issue. Each member of their team reacted differently to this. Yang, of course, was loving it, Blake would make a short comment before ignoring them, Ruby felt a little embarrassed, but liked it anyway, and Weiss really just wanted them to be left alone so she could study in peace. However, Velvet had a problem with this as suddenly, a lot of guys, and some girls, started trying to ask Velvet out for a date.

They would either ask her directly, or leave cards and flowers in front of her door. Honestly, it was starting to drive her nuts. People coming to kill her; that she could handle no problem. People asking for your hand in marriage (whatever made some of them do that, Velvet will never know); yeah that was a different story…

"I swear this is starting to get ridiculous," Weiss says as she enters the room, carrying some love letters to Velvet and throwing them in the trash. "Believe me, I'm glad Velvet put those punks in their place, and honesty I'm used to getting this kind of attention because of my family, but this is too much," she notes as she sits down on her bed with an exhausted sigh.

"What's wrong, princess? Jealous because Velvet's getting all the love and you're not?" Yang jokes while on her bunk.

"Oh please, I'm actually glad that's not happening to me. Back home, men would of course want to be in a relationship with me, but that was only because they either want the perks of my last name, or they want to get under my skirt. It was revolting. I feel bad for her for going through this. It's not as much fun as you'd think," Weiss says.

"Yeah, it is a little weird. It's hard to get around without being bombarded by confessions of love when you're with her," Ruby adds.

At this point, Velvet enters the room…carrying eight bouquets of flowers with her, and an irritated expression on her face.

"I swear, the next person who asks me out is gonna get my blade shoved through their face," Velvet says as she throws the flowers into the trash. She then activates her demon claw and conjures a small fire arte to burn the trash to ashes. "I think I liked it better when people tried to stay away from me," she says and topples down on her bunk.

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad. I mean, I had plenty of guys back at Signal ask me out, though I turned them all down. That, and they quickly stopped that when my dad and uncle, who are teachers there, had a little 'chat' with each of them," Yang says.

"Whenever a girl tries to get together with me, I at least try to let them down gently since I know they mean well. Whereas the guys, I know EXACTLY what they want, and so I have no problem showing them the door. The only problem with that is that they don't give up. I think the only way they will is if I shoot them where the sun don't shine," Velvet replies, left arm resting over her eyes.

"Good luck with that. It's like they say; you can't cure stupid," Blake notes, making Velvet sigh again.

Ruby then gets an idea, "… I know, how about this Friday afternoon we all head to Vale for some fresh air? Getting away from here for a little while should help, don't you think?" Ruby suggest.

"If it gets me away from these wackos, I'm in," Velvet agrees as she sits up.

"Yes, I think a change of scenery would do us some good," Weiss adds.

"I'm down. How about you, Blake?" Yang asks.

"Sure," Blake replies.

"Great. Then we'll head out after classes Friday and take a walk on the town," Ruby declares.

Just then, someone knocks on their door. Velvet gets up to answer, but when she opens up the door, she finds three guys standing in the hall way, all carrying flowers in their hands.

"Velvet Crowe, will you go out with me?!" They all shout as they offer the flowers to her.

Weiss and Blake facepalm, Yang snickers, and Ruby laughs nervously while scratching her cheek. Velvet looks on with a deadpan look and gives them the most logical answer.

"…No," she deadpans and slams the door in their faces. "Friday better get here quick," she mutters.

…

Friday eventually gets here, much to Velvet's relief, and the five girls quickly make the airship ride to Vale for a girl's day out. They walk through the city, noticing all the banners and decorations being hung up for the upcoming Vytal Festival that will be starting in some months.

"The Vytal Festival! Oh, this is absolutely wonderful!" Weiss cheers.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much Weiss…It's kind of weirding me out," Ruby says.

"You're telling me," Velvet mutters.

Weiss turns to Ruby, "How could you guys not smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be dances, parades, a tournament! Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply breathtaking!" Weiss excitedly says as she turns and they continue their walk.

Yang sighs, "You really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring," she says, crossing her arms.

"Quiet you!" Weiss quickly retorts as they make their way to the city docks, hearing a ship horn nearby.

"Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?" Yang asks.

"Ugh, they smell like fish," Ruby says while pinching her nose.

"I've heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today, and as a representative of Beacon, I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom," Weiss explains as they walk closer to the steps leading to the docks.

Blake crosses her arms, "She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament," Blake points out the truth.

"You can't prove that!" Weiss scoffs.

"You denying it is proof in itself," Velvet counters.

"Hmph," Weiss pouts as she turns her head away.

Eventually, Ruby turns further to her right and gasps, "Woah," she says.

They all look so see a dust stop with the windows broken, and crime scene tape spread out blocking off the scene and on the windows in a cross-shape design. They walk up to the scene to see two detectives wearing a white buttoned-up shirt, black tie, straps, and pants, and black sunglasses, checking over the scene and writing down notes in their note pads.

"What happened here?" Ruby asks one of the detectives.

"Robbery. Second dust shop to be hit this week," The detective answers before walking back to the broken window. "This place is turning into a jungle," he mutters.

"What a mess," Velvet notes as she looks around.

"They left all the money again," the second detective points out.

"Huh?" Ruby mutters.

"Yeah, it just doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that must dust?" the first detective says while waving his gun by his side.

"I don't know, you know what I mean?" the second detective says.

"You thinking the, uh, White Fang?" the first detective suggests.

"Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get payed enough," the second detective says, taking off his glasses.

"Hmph, the White Fang. What an awful bunch of degenerates," Weiss coldly says while crossing her arms and closing her eyes.

"What's YOUR problem?" Blake questions, irritated by her comment.

"My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane," Weiss says, waving her right arm.

"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're a collection of misguided Faunus," Blake retorts, crossing her arms.

"Misguided? They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet," Weiss says.

"You can't exactly blame them, after all, humans have made them out to be monsters even before they got violent," Velvet sides with Blake, knowing the truth.

"You mean you would take the side of those terrorists over us?" Weiss asks, flabbergasted.

"Not exactly. But as I hope YOU remember, I was seen as a monster back home, in case you'd forgotten. I don't really like them, but I can understand their predicament," Velvet retorts, glaring at her.

"Yes, they're just VERY misguided, either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale," Blake points out.

"Hm, Blake's got a point. Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago. Maybe it was him," Ruby defends Blake.

"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum. Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal," Weiss badmouths the White Fang.

"That's not necessarily true," Yang retorts.

"Hey, stop that Faunus!" they hear a voice back at the docks and look back.

They all run to the docks to see a Faunus boy on a docked ship, running from two crew members. The Faunus boy is a monkey Faunus, shown by the money tail on his butt. He has tan skin with short, spiky light-blonde hair, and dark grey eyes. He is wearing two red wrist bracers and an open loose collared white jacket with no shirt underneath, showing a muscular physique. He is also wearing blue cargo pants tied up with a white belt. He has on white bandages on his legs, and has a chain hanging from the belt loop on the right side of his pants. The Faunus boy gets up on the side of the boat.

"Thanks for the ride, guys. Haha," he laughs before jumping off the side of the ship and landing on the dock walkway below, and then starts running before jumping up into the air.

"You no good stowaway!" one crew member shouts out.

The Faunus boy is seen hanging on a lamp post upside down by his tail, unfolding a banana.

"Hey, a no good stowaway would've been caught. I'm a great stowaway," he says before moving his head to avoid a rock being thrown at him and looking down to see the two detectives from earlier walking up to him.

"Hey! Get down from there this instant," one detective says, only to end up with a banana peel on his face and growling at the Faunus boy.

The Faunus boy swings onto the top of the lamppost, laughing before he jumps over them and lands, rolling on the dock, before he starts running away from them. He races up the stairs to the street and runs over to where Team RVWBY are. As he passes by, he gives Blake a quick wink before running away with the detectives on his tail.

"Well, Weiss, you wanted to see the competition, and there it goes," Yang points out.

Weiss raises a finger in the air, "Quick! We have to observe him!" She says and they all start running after him.

They begin to catch up as the Faunus boy and the detectives run around one corner on the street. The group makes the turn as Weiss accidently runs into a person walking on the street and they both fall onto the ground. Everyone else stops and looks at the crash scene while Weiss raises her head to see the Faunus boy jump out of her sight as he evades the detectives.

"No, he got away!" Weiss shrieks.

"Too bad," Velvet says, not caring.

"Uh, Weiss…" Yang points to the person underneath Weiss.

Weiss looks down to the person, a girl around their age, smiling at her. She flips out, quickly getting back on her feet.

The girl on the ground has short, rather curly orange hair coming down to her chin, and has a pink bow on the back of her head. She has bright green eyes, light skin and freckles. She is wearing an old-fashioned blouse with short feminine overalls, as well as a black and green collar with a matching pair of stockings. She also has on a small and thin backpack.

"Sal-u-tations," the girl says, waving her left hand at them while still on the ground.

"Um, hello," Ruby hesitantly replies.

"Are you…okay?" Yang hesitantly asks.

"I'm WONDERFUL. Thank you for asking," the girl replies, still not getting up as she continues to smile at them.

"Do you…wanna get up?" Yang nervously asks again.

The girl thinks for a moment, "Yes," she says before pushing off her hands, jumping, and landing on her feet. The action makes everyone take a step back from her. "My name is Penny. It's a pleasure to meet you," the girl introduces herself as Penny.

"Hi Penny. I'm Ruby," Ruby introduces herself.

"I'm Weiss," Weiss says.

"Blake," Blake adds.

"I'm Velvet," Velvet says next.

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Yang asks, only to have Blake hit her in the gut. "Oh, I'm Yang," she quickly corrects herself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Penny says again.

"You already said that," Weiss points out.

"…So I did," Penny replies.

"Well, sorry for running into you," Weiss apologizes as they all turn away from Penny and walk away.

"Take care, friend," Ruby says, waving at Penny as she walks away.

"She was…weird," Yang comments about Penny.

"Aren't we all," Velvet mutters.

"Now, where did that Faunus riff-raff run off to?" Weiss questions as they continue their search for the Faunus boy from earlier…until they all look to see Penny standing right in front of them.

"What did you call me?" Penny asks.

"Oh, I'm really sorry! I definitely didn't think you heard me," Yang quickly apologizes while Weiss quickly turns her head back and forth, pointing at where Penny was before and where she is in front of them now, all with a shocked look on her face.

"No, not you," Penny says before walking past everyone and right up to Ruby, "You," she says.

"Me?! I-I don't know, I-," Ruby stutters.

"You called me 'friend'. Am I really your friend?" Penny hopefully asks.

"Um…" Ruby starts and looks behind Penny for help. However, everyone is telling her 'No'. "Y-yeah, sure. Why not?" Ruby says, making everyone behind Penny fall on the ground in disbelief.

Penny pumps her fists into the air, "Sen-sational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!" she cheers.

Ruby groans as Weiss shakes the dust off her clothes, "Oh, is this what it was like when you met me?" Ruby barely asks in a whisper.

"No, she seems FAR more coordinated," Weiss replies.

"So, what are you doing in Vale?" Yang asks.

"I'm here to fight in the tournament," Penny answers.

"Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?" Weiss questions, unconvinced.

"I'm combat ready," Penny says with a salute of her right arm.

"Forgive me, but, you hardly look the part," Weiss comments.

"This from the girl in the dress," Velvet replies.

"It's a combat skirt!" Weiss defends her attire.

Ruby immediately shoots over to Weiss' left, "Yeah!" she supports Weiss, and gives her a low high-five.

"Wait a minute," Weiss says and walks up to Penny, grabbing her shoulders. "If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed…rapscallion?" Weiss questions her, making Blake angry.

"The who?" Penny asks.

Weiss pulls out a poorly drawn picture of the Faunus boy, "The filthy Faunus from the boat!" she says.

"Why do you keep saying that?" Blake angrily asks, her patience growing thin.

"Huh?" Weiss asks.

"Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a person!" Blake defends the Faunus boy as she walks up to Weiss.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like me to stop referring to the trashcan as a trashcan? Or this lamppost as a lamppost?!" Weiss taunts her as she gestures to the two inanimate objects.

"Stop it!" Blake yells at her, getting even angrier.

"Stop what?! He clearly broke the law. Give him time, he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang," Weiss says.

Blake clenches her left fist, "Ugh, YOU IGNORANT LITTLE BRAT!" Blake screams and walks away, shocking Weiss.

"How DARE you talk to me like that! I am your teammate!" Weiss yells back as she walks up to Blake.

"You are a judgmental, little girl," Blake criticizes her.

"What in the world makes you say that?!" Weiss asks.

Yang moves over to Ruby, "Uh, I think we should probably go," she says as Weiss and Blake continue to argue.

"Agreed," Velvet adds.

"Where are we going?" Penny asks, smiling as Ruby can only close her eyes at the argument before them.

"-solely based on his species make you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be!" Blake argues at Weiss.

"So you admit it! The White Fang is just a radical group of terrorists!" Weiss points out.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Blake argues back.

…

Back at the dorm, the argument continues.

"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!" Weiss argues.

"That IS the problem!" Blake points out.

Weiss stand up, "You realize you're defending an organization that hates humanity, don't you? The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!" Weiss says while crossing her arms.

Blake now stands up, "There's no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like YOU, that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!" Blake yells back.

"People like me?!" Weiss questions her.

"You're DISCRIMINATORY!" Blake shouts back.

"I'm a VICTIM!" Weiss quickly retorts.

Everyone is quiet for a moment from Weiss' declaration.

"You want to know WHY I despise the White Fang. Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus," Weiss says as she walks to the desk in front of their dorm window, placing her hands on it. "It's because they've been at war with my family for years. WAR, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear, board members executed, an entire train car full of dust, stolen," Weiss sadly mentions. "And every day, my father would come home, furious, and that made for a very difficult childhood," she angrily says, clenching her right fist and hitting the desk with it.

Ruby walks up to Weiss and places a hand on her shoulder, "Weiss, I-," she starts, but Weiss quickly turns around, furious.

"NO!" she yells and walks back to Blake. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang. It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and MURDERERS!" she angrily yells at Blake.

Blake had had it, "Well, maybe WE were just tired of being pushed around!" Blake yells back, but a moment later realizes that she just revealed her secret as Weiss steps back out of shock, as Ruby and Yang look back in shock.

 _"I guess now's the time,"_ Velvet thinks.

"I-I…" Blake stutters, stepping back for a moment before she tries to run off in fear.

However, Velvet quickly grabs her with her demon arm and absorbs enough of her strength to prevent her escaping.

"Not so fast," Velvet mutters.

"Velvet! She's part of the White Fang! We have to-," Weiss begins before suddenly a shot rings out.

Wide-eyed, Weiss slowly turns around to see a bullet hole in the wall behind her, just an inch off her face. She looks back at Velvet in shock, seeing her gauntlet aimed at her, while Velvet looks displeased.

"Velvet…" Ruby mutters.

Velvet lets go of Blake and closes and locks the door.

"I never pegged you for being a hypocrite, Weiss. Guess I was wrong," Velvet says.

Weiss shakes out of her stupor, "Velvet, what are you doing?! Why would you shoot ME?! And what do you mean I'm a hypocrite?!" she yells.

"You told me you don't really agree with the way your father has been running the family business, right?" Velvet retorts. When Weiss doesn't quickly answer, she presses her. "RIGHT?!" she asks again.

"Y-y-yes," she stutters.

"And yet, here you are, practically acting just like him. Now, I'm sorry you had to go through all that back home, but this is not about you. Truth be told, Blake told me a while back about her past, ALL of it. And yet, even with that knowledge in mind, we still got along," Velvet explains.

"You KNEW?! Why didn't you tell any of us? She's the enemy, just like the White Fang, and all the other Faunus-," she starts until Velvet slaps her.

Everyone looks on in shock as they are unable to say anything.

"Like your family is completely innocent in this. Answer me this, do you like it when people see you as just like your father? To put you in the same box as his?" she asks.

Slowly getting out of her shock, Weiss looks down, "…I…No, I hate it when they do that. I am NOT my father, and I don't want to be like him," she admits.

"That's also why I called you a hypocrite. You hate it when people see you as something you're not, and yet you immediately make Blake, and any Faunus that isn't with the White Fang, the same as them. If you really don't want to be like your father…Then listen to Blake's side of the story. Let her tell you the truth, and then make your decision about her," Velvet says and steps back.

Weiss thinks upon Velvet's words and slowly looks at Blake, who stands up, worried. Weiss eventually sighs and decides to take Velvet's advice.

"Alright Blake. Tell us your side of the story. Tell us what you told Velvet…Please," she tries to ask calmly.

Blake look at Velvet, who nods, and then at Ruby and Yang, who nod with supportive smiles as well, and then back to Weiss, and nods herself.

"Okay…" she says.

* * *

 **Whew, that was longer than I thought it'd be. Either next chapter or the following chapter will be the end of Volume 1, but not the end of the story. I didn't want Blake to run because I've always seen her as a coward who runs from her problems and fears rather than facing them, and I HATE cowardice. Also, I just couldn't resist having a little fun with Velvet at the beginning of the chapter. What will become of our team next chapter? Until next time, please Read and Review.**


	14. Chapter 14: Rememberance

**Here we are at chapter 14. Time to see how things will play out for our team. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 14. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Remembrance**

Ruby and Weiss are sitting on Weiss' bed while Blake and Yang sit on Blake's bed, leaving Velvet to stand in between them and act as mediator, or peacemaker if necessary. She watches as Blake tells her story to the others, making sure Weiss lets her say her piece before she makes a decision about Blake.

"…And after I left, I decided that I would become a huntress, and dedicate my life to protecting the people…So now you all know about me," she ends her story and looks at Weiss. "Weiss, I know the White Fang and your family have been enemies for some time. To be honest, I'm not a fan of your father's either, but I never wanted to kill anyone. I wanted peace and equality between humans and Faunus, not this mindless bloodshed. I just couldn't stay there anymore. I thought that what we were doing would be for a better world, but it turns out that world that the White Fang wants would only be better for some people, not all of them…I'm sorry I kept this from you, from all of you. I was…just afraid of what you'd think about me being a Faunus or a former member of the White Fang. I'm just…I'm sorry," she confesses, lowering her head in shame.

At this point, Blake expects them to start yelling at her about how she kept secrets from them, or that she's an animal or a murderer like the rest of the White Fang. But fantasy and reality are two different things. First, Yang pulls her into a one-armed hug, shocking her.

"Blake, it doesn't matter if you're a Faunus or a human to me. And even you were a member of the White Fang before, you left because you wanted to do something good in this world, and that's why you came here. But most of all, you're our friend, and that will never change," she comforts her.

Ruby then chimes in, "She's right, Blake. You're our friend, and friends stick together. It doesn't matter what you did in the past. What matters now is that you're here, with us, and you're still trying to make a difference in your own way, just like us," Ruby says.

Then they all look to Weiss.

"Weiss…" Blake mutters.

Weiss looks down, thinking about her answer, for a few minutes. The silence only makes everyone aside from Velvet tenser. Eventually, she breathes a heavy sigh.

"Blake…After hearing your side of the story and having some time to think about things, I've decided…I don't care," she declares.

"You don't care?" Blake asks, confused.

"You said you're not one of them anymore, right? You said that you didn't agree with how violent they were becoming now, correct?" she asks.

"No, I told you, I haven't-," she begins.

Weiss raise her hand, "Ah, I don't want to hear it. All I want to know is that when something this big comes up…You'll talk to your teammates and let us help you instead of trying to keep it locked inside, and dealing with it on your own. Okay?" she says.

Blake sheds a few tears, but with a smile as she wipes them away, "Of course. Thank you, Weiss…All of you," she looks at all of them.

Weiss smiles back and then looks at Velvet, "Velvet, I want to apologize for my earlier behavior. You were right about everything, including about how I was letting my emotions and my upbringing get the better of me. Thank you," she says.

Velvet nods, "We're all friends here. That's all that matters. And I'm sorry too for shooting at you. I had to get you to calm down and that was what I came up with on short notice," she apologizes, making Weiss laugh nervously. "You know, you two remind me of me and an old friend of mine that I travelled with back home," she notes as she walks up to the dorm window.

"Really, who?" she asks, getting them all curious.

"Her name is Eleanor. Truth be told, when we first met, we were enemies and wanted to kill each other," she begins, shocking everyone. "We fought against each other one time, and I won. I could've killed her, but instead I forced her into becoming my servant. She swore an oath that she would obey any order I give her and follow me wherever I go. It was tense at first, considering our histories, but over time, we got to know each other, and eventually came to become close friends. In the end, she became someone I could trust with my life," she says as she reminisces about her old friend.

"Wow, I had no idea that happened to you, Velvet. Where is she now?" Ruby asks.

"I don't really know. But…I know she's doing fine, and living her live according to her own beliefs, just like me," Velvet replies.

"Well, that's good to know. Thank you for sharing that with us," Ruby says.

"Hey, since we still have the weekend ahead of us, why don't we try heading to the city again tomorrow. Our little trip kind of got put on hold because of all this chaos, but that doesn't me we can't still try to have some more fun. What do you guys think?" Yang suggests.

"Fine by me," Velvet says first.

"Yeah, let's do it," Ruby adds.

"Agreed," Weiss says next.

Yang looks at Blake," Blake? Feel up to going?" she asks, hoping for a 'yes'.

"…Okay," Blake says.

"Awesome, we got ourselves another trip to the city," Ruby says. "…But first, how about we get some shut eye?" she says.

"Yes," they all say in unison.

However, before they can get ready for bed, someone knocks on their door. Velvet goes to open it…only to reveal four guys with flowers in their hands.

"Velvet Crowe, will you go out with me?!" they all shout.

Velvet closes her eyes, her right eyebrow twitching, "You all want my answer?" she asks, barely containing her anger and aggravation.

"Yes!" they all yell, but when they look up, all they see is Velvet's gauntlet aimed at them.

"Here is my answer!" she says and starts firing off some shots at them, making them all run for their lives. Seeing that they're all gone, she slams the door. "At this rate, I'm gonna have to kill some of them to get the message across," she notes.

The others laugh nervously before deciding to finally go to bed for the night.

…

The next day, the team manages to make it back to the city, after having to deal with a few more of Velvet's fans. Checking out the scenery, the girls are glad to get some fresh air, along with the tension between them, while not completely gone, has dropped greatly. After walking for a few minutes, Ruby notices a weapon shop nearby.

"Ooh, how about we go there. I want to check out the latest addition of their weapon's magazine. Weiss, they also sell Dust there too. You can see what they have if you're interested," Ruby suggests.

"I doubt they have anything I need, but I wouldn't mind seeing their selection," Weiss says, trying to be more considerate.

"Hey, that works for me. I needed to pick up some more Dust rounds anyway," Yang adds while the others just nod.

With them all in agreement, they head into the store and immediately Ruby zooms over to the magazine section. Meanwhile, Yang and Blake check out the Dust rounds while Weiss and Velvet check out the Dust cases.

"How have the Dust crystals I gave you been working out?" she asks.

"They've been working fine. Thanks for helping me with that," Velvet says.

"…I should be thanking you Velvet. You made me realize how much of a fool I've been since coming here, even more so because of last night. It made me realize how much I was blinded by my privileged lifestyle and my father. I feel like I can truly accomplish my goals now thanks to you. So thank you," Weiss says, offering her a smile.

"No problem. We're friends, are we not?" Velvet replies, to which Weiss nods.

A few minutes later, they leave the weapon's shop after getting what they needed and decided to stop by a local café for lunch. Each of them got some pastries to eat and either coffee or tea to drink. They make simple small talk until eventually, Ruby decides to ask Velvet a question.

"Hey Velvet, can I ask you something?" she asks.

"What is it?" Velvet replies.

"I wanted to know more about your travel companions. We've given you your space about that, but I was hoping you could tell us more about them. You already told us about Eleanor, do you think you could talk about the rest of them a little? Please?" Ruby asks.

Velvet sighs, "I suppose I could tell you about them. You've given me space about that for a good while now, so I suppose you deserve to know. Well, you already know about Eleanor, but the others are different. First, I met this samurai as he likes to call himself named Rokurou. He was a guy that liked making chaos and getting into fights, but he knew how to keep his blades sheathed when he needed to. Next was a girl named Magilou…she was a handful. She loved playing pranks on us and usually just went where the wind took her. After that, we met a man named Eizen. He and I got along fine. People back home called him the Reaper because it was like he had a curse on him as people would get hurt around him, but despite that, he enjoyed being around people. He has a little sister named Edna whom he sends letters to during his travels. Finally there was…" Velvet trails off.

"There was who? Who else?" Yang says, very interested.

"…During our travels, we came across a little boy who was essentially a slave, so much so that he had no name and did whatever his master told him too. We rescued him, and because I didn't have a name, and with the fact that he…looked a lot like him…I gave him my little brother's name…Laphicet," Velvet admits, looking down at her coffee cup.

"Wait, you gave him your little brother's name, who you told us died some years ago before this? Doesn't that seem a little weird to you?" Yang asks, only for Blake to elbow her in the gut. "Ow!"

"Yeah, I thought it was weird, but it just felt…right in a way. He reminded me so much of my little brother. We took him with us and taught him about living his life of his own free will, and he started acting like a normal kid. I guess he was like another little brother to me. Before I…left to come here, I made Eleanor promise to look after him while I'm gone, which she agreed to, and I told Laphicet to follow his own path in life, not anyone else's," Velvet says.

"…Do you miss them?" Ruby asks.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. I have no idea where they are now, but I'm sure they're happy and living their lives as they want to. Just as I hope they are," Velvet says, showing a sad smile.

However, she feels a hand on hers and looks up to see Ruby reaching across their table to rest a hand on hers.

"I'm glad you told us about them, Velvet. I'm sure you miss them, and I'm sure you'll see them again someday. But don't forget that you're not alone here. We're here right beside you, as a team and as your friends. Okay?" Ruby comforts her.

Velvet looks around to see them all giving her supportive smiles, and can't help but have a small smile as well.

"Thanks, you guys," she says.

They remain silent to just enjoy the moment, until…

"Hey, I saw you guys yesterday," they hear someone say. They look around and see the same Faunus boy from yesterday standing behind them. "Hope you ladies are having a good time," he says as he walks over.

"You're that…guy we saw stowaway on the ship yesterday!" Weiss yells, trying to refrain from insulting his heritage.

"Yeah, maybe we could keep that on the down low for now, please…Anyway, the name's Sun Wukong. Your turn," he introduces himself.

"Hi Sun. I'm Ruby. This is Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Velvet," Ruby introduces her team.

"Nice to meet you guys. So, I was hoping I could talk to you for a bit," Sun says, pointing to Blake.

"Me? About what?" Blake asks.

"Well, I was hoping maybe we could hang out sometime, maybe catch a movie. My treat," Sun asks her out.

"You're asking me? Wouldn't you want to go with someone else?" she retorts.

"Well, I'm not really from around here, but you're the cutest looking Faunus girl I've seen in this city," Sun says, making Blake go wide-eyed at his words.

Blake holds her bow, "How did you-," she begins.

"Eh, I could just tell. Although, if you ask me, you'd look better without the bow…So what do you say?" he asks, feeling confident.

"I'll pass," Blake rejects him.

Sun slumps in disbelief, "What? Was it something I said about the bow?" he asks.

"No, I just rather spend the day with my friends today. We've…had to deal with some things, and we just want to have a nice, peaceful day today in the city," Blake explains.

"Oh…well…I guess that's okay…Just know that I'm not giving up," Sun says, regaining some of his confidence.

"Hooray," Blake mutters sarcastically.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around then," he says and leaves.

The rest of their lunch goes off without much going on and soon they leave. Deciding to explore some stores, Weiss and Yang head to a clothing store…and dragged Ruby with them against her will. Meanwhile, Velvet went with Blake because she wanted to check out the local bookstore. However, along the way, Blake sees the same Dust shop from yesterday, still taped off. This gets her thinking about the possibility of the White Fang being the culprits, and Velvet notices.

"Blake, everything alright?" she asks.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine…It's nothing," she lies.

Velvet doesn't buy it, "Yeah right. You're thinking about whether or not the White Fang is really behind these Dust robberies, aren't you? Don't lie to me," Velvet says.

Blake sighs, "I guess I'm a little concerned. The thing is, the White Fang has never needed this must Dust before, so if it is them, I have no idea why," Blake says.

"Well, maybe I can help," they hear behind them and turn to see Sun smiling.

"Are you stalking us now?" Blake asks, slightly irritated.

"No! No! I was on my way to get some grub and ended up behind you guys along the way. Anyway, why are you concerned about the White Fang? If you ask me, it be best to stay away from those psychos," Sun notes. Curious about what he knows, Blake tells him about her past. A few minutes later, they finish and Sun takes it all in. "Wow, I had no idea. Guess it was a good thing you left. Well, as I said before, I might be able to help out with that," Sun says.

"Explain," Velvet demands.

"Well, the only way to prove that they didn't do it, is to go the place where they would most likely go to if they were to do it, and not find them there. Right?" Sun suggests, standing in front of them, smiling and pointing fingers at them.

"The only thing is, I have no idea where that would be," Blake says, and starts thinking of a suitable place.

"Well, while I was on the ship, I heard some guys talking about offloading a huge shipment of dust coming in from Atlas," Sun mentions.

"How huge?" Blake asks.

"HUGE. Big Schnee Company freighter," Sun notes.

"You're sure?" Blake asks further, earning a smile from Sun as an answer.

"Then let's check it out," Velvet suggests and they leave.

…

Meanwhile, Weiss, Yang, and an exhausted Ruby exit the clothing store, the former carrying a few bags.

"That was a nightmare," Ruby groans.

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad," Yang says, but then notices the two missing members. "Wait, where are Velvet and Blake?" she asks.

They look around, but don't see them.

"We'd better find them," Ruby suggests.

"Find who?" someone asks.

They jump and turn around to find Penny standing behind them.

Ruby freaks out, "Ahh! Penny, where did you come from?!" Ruby screams as they turn around to see her.

"Hey guys. What are you up to?" Penny asks, waving a hand at them in greeting.

"Uh…" Ruby tries to answer.

"We're looking for our friends, Blake and Velvet," Yang clarifies.

"Oh, you mean Velvet and the Faunus girl," Penny says, confusing the other three as to how she knew that.

"Wait, how did you know that?" Ruby asks.

"Well, the cat ears that she hid in her bow," Penny replies, pointing at the top of her head.

"Okay, that happened," Yang says.

"So, where are they?" Penny asks.

"We don't know. We went to different stores, but were supposed to meet up here," Ruby says.

Penny gasps, walking up to Ruby and grabbing her arms, making Ruby give off a nervous smile, "That's terrible! Well, don't you worry Ruby, my friend. I won't rest until we find your friends," Penny says, hand on her hips.

"Uh, that's really nice of you Penny, uh but, we-were okay, really. Right guys?" Ruby looks to Yang and Weiss…only to see that they already left and are long gone.

Penny then sees a tumbleweed roll by again as a random breeze comes by.

"It sure is windy today," she says.

…

Later that night, Velvet and Blake sit on a rooftop overlooking the docks. A moment later Sun shows up.

"So, did I miss anything?" he asks, carrying some food.

"Not really. They've offloaded all the crates from the boat. Now they're just sitting there," Blake informs him.

"Cool. I stole you some food," he says, offering a green apple to her.

"Do you always break the law without a second thought?" she asks him, raising her eyebrows.

"Hey, weren't you in a cult or something?" he asks, but Blake gives him a death glare. "Okay, too soon," he quickly says before looking away.

Suddenly, a rush of wind blows from behind them and they look up to see a bullhead airship coming down from the air, with its spot lights on as it goes and lands at the docks, in between the crates. The two engine rotors on the ends of its wings fold down as it lands, and when it does, a walkway folds out and men start walking down the ramp. These men are wearing black hooded shirts and black pants, with a white vest over the shirt and a black belt around the vest. They have on white vambraces, combat boots, and a white mask that covers the top half of their faces. Finally, on the back of the vests is the White Fang symbol, a red wolf head showing its teeth and three claw marks behind the head.

"Oh no," Blake sadly says.

"Is that them?" Sun asks.

"Yes…It's them," Blake answers as more White Fang members exit the airship.

"Alright, grab the tow cables," they hear one member say, wielding an assault rifle in his hands.

"You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?" Sun asks her.

"No, I think deep down I knew. I just didn't want to be right," Blake answers, sad at the picture before her.

"Hey! What's the hold up?" they hear a voice from the airship and go wide-eyed at seeing the person who spoke. "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, sooo why don't you animals try to pick up the pace," that person turns out to be Roman Torchwick as he walks out of the airship.

"This isn't right. The White Fang would never work with a human, especially not one like that," Blake says as she stands up and draws out her blade before jumping off of the roof of their building.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Sun tries to stop her, but she doesn't listen.

"What's that idiot doing?!" Velvet says.

Blake lands on the ground and moves to hide behind one of the crate, looking over one corner at Torchwick from behind him.

"No, you idiot. This isn't a leash," Roman berates one White Fang member who is holding a tow cable while Torchwick has his cane behind his back. A moment later, Blake quickly appears behind him, with her sword at his throat. "What the-oh for fu-."

"Nobody move," Blake warns them as one White Fang member points his gun at her while another draws out a regular sword at her.

"Woah! Take it easy there, little lady," Torchwick says as more White Fang members surround them.

Blake eyes them for a moment before she takes off her bow, revealing her cat ears, "Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum?" she questions her former comrades, making them hesitate for a moment.

Torchwick chuckles, "Oh kid, didn't you get the memo?" he playfully asks her.

"What are you talking about?" she angrily asks him.

"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together," he says.

"Tell me what it is, or I'll put an end to your little operation," Blake demands, inching her blade closer to Torchwick's neck.

Suddenly, a rush of wind blows by, and they both look up.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation," Torchwick says as two more Bullhead airships appear above them.

With Blake focused on the airships, Roman smiles before aiming his cane at her feet, and pulling the trigger, causing an explosion that sends her flying backwards.

…

Ruby and Penny are still searching until they hear the explosion and look back to see smoke rising into the air.

"Oh no…" Ruby mutters.

…

Blake is shaking her head on the ground as Roman fires off another shot from his cane. Blake looks up and quickly rolls out of the way from three shots and gets back on her feet. She angrily looks back at Roman, who fires off three more shots, to which she evades by doing two backflips, and then using her semblance to jump back from the third shot. The then starts running to her left behind some crates as Roman takes another shot at her before he starts walking aft her.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty," he mutters until a banana peel drops on his head.

He takes it off and looks up to see Sun above him.

"Woo-hoo!" Sun yells as he falls, his feet landing on Roman's face, forcing him to the ground as Sun jumps off him, does a roll and then two front flips before landing on his feet and looking back at Roman. "Leave her alone," he says, eyes narrowing at Roman.

Next, the two airships in the air open their side doors as several White Fang member jump out of them and surround Sun, either with guns or swords.

"You are not the brightest banana in the bunch, are you kid?" Roman rhetorically asks before the Faunus soldiers attack.

Sun throws a right punch, then backhands it at one thug, knocking him away, and then spins to evade another attacking with a sword before hitting him with his tail, and then spin kicks another enemy. He then kicks another goon, pushing off of him and rolling on the ground before he pulls out his weapon, Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang, from under his jacket. His weapons are dark red with gold details, and can take the form of a bo staff, and a pair of gold-chain-linked lever-action shotgun nunchaku. He pulls out the weapon and it extends into its bo staff form, and he slams it against one thug before spinning it and hitting another. He then spins it around him and over him again, while hitting another White Fang member multiple times, sending him flying. As two more enemies approach him, Sun spins his staff before slamming it into the ground, releasing an orange shockwave that knocks out the other two. A third goon tries to attack, but Sun kicks him and starts breakdancing while spinning his staff, simultaneously hitting the last goon on his side.

Meanwhile, Blake looks on as she tries to get closer to Torchwick. As Sun is breakdancing on the ground, he dodges one sword strike from another enemy before he kicks him, flips over him, planting his feet on his back onto the ground, and then kicks him away. The guy gets sent flying over to Torchwick, who ducks under him, before firing off another shot from his cane. Sun spins his staff as a shield to block the shot as Blake appears in front of him.

"He's mine!" she yells before charging at Roman.

Blake takes out her two blades, swinging her left blade at him which he blocks and then swings his cane at her. She ducks under it and then swings her blades at him, only to be blocked again. She spins with her swords before back-flipping into the air, then using her semblance to shoot towards Roman with another strike that gets deflected. Using her semblance again, she shoots at his right with another strike that gets blocked by his cane as he spins to evade the attacks, and he blocks another strike when she charges back at him. She then spins in the air at him, swinging her swords, to which he blocks her attacks twice. Roman then punches her in the face, but she uses her semblance to deflect the blow and backflips onto her feet and blocks his cane with her swords. She attempts to stab him with her right sword, but he deflects it with his cane and then hits her in the stomach with it before swinging it upwards and hitting Blake's face. Roman then spins his body before swinging his cane, hitting her again and making her stumble backwards, and then hits her again with it, knocking her to the ground.

However, as Blake is falling, Sun jumps over her, dealing a jump kick to Roman before changing his weapon into its nunchaku form. He spins his right nunchaku first, firing off one of the shotguns, before he starts spinning both of them, firing off round after round as they keep spinning. However Roman manages to block every shot and every blow without much effort. Towards the end, Sun throws his left nunchaku up in the air, spins, and then fashionably grabs it, slamming it against Roman who still blocks it and laughs at him. However, Blake appears, swinging her right sword that hits Roman, sending him to the ground. While on the ground, Roman looks up to see crate hanging over them by a crane. Roman gets up and then shoots at the hook of the crane holding up the crate, destroying it and causing the crate to fall to them. Blake backflips out of the way while Sun jumps forward onto the ground. As he starts to get up, he looks over his shoulder to see Roman pointing his cane at him, smiling.

"Oh no you don't!" he hears behind him and looks only to get kicked in the face.

Roman shakes it off and gets up to see Velvet, "You kids are really starting to piss me off," he says and fires his gun at her.

Velvet rolls under the shot and runs at him. Activating her foot blades, Velvet performs a tempest of steel as she swings all three blades at Roman. Roman manages to block all of them, but the second Velvet lands on her feet, she fires off a surprise shot at Roman's left knee. This makes him stumble, giving Velvet the chance to activate her demon claw, grab his skull, and conjure up a fire arte attack point blank, sending him flying in a blazing explosion. Roman slowly gets up and grits his teeth as he stares at Velvet's arm.

"Well, that's new," he notes.

"Hey!" a voice yells.

Velvet then sees Ruby on the roof of a nearby building, her sniper scythe deployed, spinning it and stabbing it onto the roof.

"Oh, hello there Red! Isn't it passed you're bed time?" Roman taunts her.

Penny walks up behind Ruby, "Ruby, are these people your friends?" she asks.

"Penny, get back," Ruby tells her as she turns to Penny.

Seeing Ruby taking her eyes off him, Roman fires his cane at her, getting a direct hit, and sending Ruby screaming and flying backwards, and laughs maniacally at her.

"RUBY!" Velvet yells.

Penny looks at Ruby for a moment before she turns back to Roman, with a mad look on her face. She then starts walking in front of Ruby.

"Penny, wait! Stop!" Ruby begs her as she starts to get up.

"…Don't worry Ruby. I'm combat ready," Penny replies, narrowing her eyes.

Penny's small backpack then opens up like a machine, and a gray blade with a luminous green power symbol at the center of a bronze-colored hilt, with a green line running parallel to one side, floats out from the opening. The single blade then splits into ten blades of the same design, spreading out behind her almost like wings, and she then jumps of the roof and into the battle. Three blades shoot forth, taking down two White Fang members before she lands on the ground, her swords spinning behind her. She then moves her arms, and the swords spin like a disc, knocking out one goon before thrusting them at another into a nearby crate. Two more thugs run and jump at her, but her blades return to her, spinning and making a shield that deflects them back. Another comes at her from behind, but she backflips with her sword hitting him, before she lands and then throws her swords, spinning like a disc, which barrels through ten more goons running at her like bowling pins.

"Woah!" Sun says as he watches this unfold before he moves away.

Suddenly, three Bullhead airships show up, and start firing their guns at Penny. Penny blocks the shots with her swords spinning as a shield, and then two more swords appear from her backpack before they shoot over and stab themselves into a building behind her. Very thin green wires can be seen as Penny is pulled away from the enemy fire towards the building. When Penny lands, her swords fold into a more compact gun-like shape, and start spinning in front of her, a green orb of energy forming in the center of the circle. Penny charges her attack for a moment before thrusting her arms forward, firing a massive beam of green energy that cuts two of the airships in half before falling over Ruby and into the bay, her watching the scene before turning back to Penny. Penny looks up at another airship with a crate attached underneath it. She then sends six of her swords to stab it at one side, and begins walking backwards as she pulls the ship to her with the help of her swords' strings.

"Woah, how is she doing that?" Ruby asks herself as she watches Penny.

Meanwhile, Penny manages to pull the airship she is pulling straight into a pile of crates, sending them flying and the airship exploding.

"These kids just keep getting weirder," Roman says as he uses his cane to pull the door on the airship closed and it then takes off.

"Get back here!" Velvet yells.

Roman's airship flies off as another starts shooting at Velvet. Velvet jumps back to avoid the shots and conjures up another fire arte that she fires right at the airship, destroying it, and ending the battle.

…

A little while later, the police show up to arrest any White Fang members that they get there while the group waits for Weiss and Yang to show up. A few minutes later, said duo shows up and surprisingly, Weiss walks up to hug Blake.

"Oh you had me worried, you dolt. Don't you ever disappear on us like that again, you hear me," Weiss says.

Blake hugs her back. "Of course," she says and they release the hug a moment later.

Weiss then looks at Sun, "I'm still not quite sure how I feel about you," she says, making him laugh nervously.

"Ruby, are you okay? You took a nasty hit back there," Velvet asks, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. My aura protected me. But thanks for your concern, Velvet," Ruby says, smiling.

Velvet sighs, "As long as you're okay, that's good enough for me," Velvet says.

Ruby then notices something, "Hey, wait a minute. Where's Penny?" she asks as they look around to see that Penny is gone.

In a black car not too far away, Penny watches everyone from inside through one of the windows.

"You should know better than to go running around in a strange city," an unknown male voice says.

"I know, sir," she replies sadly at leaving her friends as the car starts and drives away.

"Penny, your time will come," the unknown man says as the car drives away.

…

In Professor Ozpin's office, Ozpin is watching a live feed of the docks, particularly on Ruby and Velvet. He then gets a message with the sender named "Qrow" and the message saying "Queen has pawns."

"Hm," Ozpin hums to himself. _"It looks like they may begin their move soon. I only hope Ruby, Velvet, and the others don't have to get too involved in this."_

* * *

 **Wow, that ended up being a lot longer than I thought, so sorry about that. So ends Volume 1, but I'm just getting started. The next chapter will come in soon enough. Until next time, please Read and Review.**


	15. Chapter 15: Meeting the Family

**Here we are with a little filler chapter before I get into Volume 2. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 15. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Meeting the Family**

The first semester is almost over, much to the joy of the Beacon Academy students. Little conversations about what the students are planning to do for the break before they come back for the second semester. However, Velvet doesn't really join in on those conversations. After all, it's hard to make plans at home during the break when your old home is a completely different world. On to better news, some of her fans have given up on trying to win her heart, albeit only some, and that was after she shot at three of them, and nearly sliced off another's manhood. Unfortunately, some still try to get a date with her, although she tries to be nicer to her female fans and tries to break their hearts more gently.

…

 _"At least this break will give me some freedom from these psychos. Honestly, I'm not even that cute,"_ Velvet thinks as she fires a few ice shards at some training dummies.

Though she can use Dust with her demon claw more efficiently now, there may always be a chance that she could do more. Focusing on her arm itself, she tries to coat it in sharp ice spikes to use as a bludgeoning weapon. However, that is easier said than done.

"Hm. Maybe I need to absorb more than one Dust crystal at a time to do that. If I do, I should probably stick to two of the same type. Trying with two different types could backfire on me…Oh well, I guess I'll figure that out in the future," she mutters before deactivating her claw and checking her scroll. "Hm. It's already in the late afternoon. That should be enough for today," she notes and leaves the training room. On her way back however, she sees a female student with long blonde hair, and green eyes leaning against the wall, carrying some flowers in her hands. _"Not another one. At least it's not a guy this time."_

The girl notices her and straightens up, "U-uh Miss Velvet, I-I wanted to see you," the girl stutters, nervous.

"About?" Velvet asks, hand on her hip.

"W-well I wanted to know if you had any plans for the break coming up," she begins.

"Not really. Just going home," she lies.

"Okay, well if you have time before that, m-maybe we could g-go out to eat some time," she asks.

 _"It's easy to give men the boot; girls on other hand, not so much,"_ Velvet thinks and sighs. "I'm sorry, but I'm not looking for a date or a relationship with anyone right now. You seem like a good girl, but I'm just not interested. Again, I'm sorry," Velvet replies.

This makes the girl sad, "Oh, I see…I'm sorry for bothering you then," the girl says, looking down in sadness.

Velvet looks at the flowers, "Are those for me?" she asks.

"Um, yes, they were…" she replies.

"Would it make you feel a little better if I accepted them?" Velvet asks.

"I…guess it would help a little," the girl replies, looking a little less sad.

"Then okay," Velvet says, holding out her arms.

This makes the girl smile a little, "Thank you, Miss Velvet. Here you go," she says, giving Velvet the flowers.

"Listen, it didn't really work out for me, but I'm sure there is someone here that would like to go out with you. You just have to find them, so keep trying alright," Velvet tries to encourage her.

The girl nods, "O-okay. Thank you," she says, shedding a few tears.

Velvet rubs her head, "Thanks again for the flowers. They're nice," she thanks her and leaves.

Once she's a good distance away, she breathes a tired sigh. A few minutes later, she makes it to her dorm room and opens the door to see the rest of her team inside.

"Hey Velvet. Took you long enough to get back," Yang says as she enters and quickly notices the flowers. She smirks, "Oh, another gift from your loving fan base?" she jokes.

This makes Ruby, who is studying, furrow her brows for a moment.

"Another girl asking me out on a date. I let her down gently, but accepted the flowers anyway so I wouldn't be rude," Velvet says as she throws the flowers into the trash. "It's not easy letting the girls down like this. The one good thing about the men is that I can send them packing without a care in the world," Velvet notes as she sits on her bed.

"You'd think they would get the hint by now. At least, the amount of love gifts you've been getting has been dropping, which means that if you keep this up, eventually they'll stop all together," Weiss says.

"Maybe, but right now I need a plan for the break. I don't really have anywhere to go back to and I'm not sure I can handle staying here by myself and deal with this for the whole break," Velvet says, crossing her legs.

This gets everyone thinking about Velvet's little dilemma. Each one of them have their own plans, but Ruby then gets an idea.

"I know. Why don't you come with me and Yang back to our home?" she suggests.

"With you two? Are you sure that's alright?" she asks.

"Yeah. I mean, Weiss is going back home, Blake said she has her own plans, and we have an extra room you can use while you're there. Besides, I'm sure that our dad won't mine meeting one of our teammates," Yang adds.

"Okay…But what about your mom?" Velvet asks, but immediately regrets saying it as she knows the answer.

This makes Ruby look down, losing some of her happy demeanor, "Oh, uh…don't worry…She won't mind either. It'll be alright," she says, but shakes it off to regain her previous demeanor. "So what do you say?" she asks.

"Um, okay. I guess that'll work, as long as you guys won't mind," Velvet agrees.

"Awesome, It'll be like a little slumber party," Yang pumps her fist up.

"Great…" Velvet mutters, not liking that idea.

…

The beginning of the Break finally rolled around and Ruby, Yang, and Velvet are on a ship ride heading for the island of Patch where Ruby and Yang live. They already bid Weiss and Blake farewell, taking a few bags with them back home, although Velvet only had one bag. During the trip, the three girls made some small talk, with the sisters telling Velvet about their home and what she can expect. Since Patch wasn't too far away from Vale, it didn't take long for their ride to make it to the island. Once they reached their destination, the three girls began the hike to the sisters' home. During the trek, Velvet took in the landscape, noting the lush green forest that encompassed most of the island.

"Do you guys get a lot of Grimm here?" Velvet asks.

"Not really. We really don't get too much Grimm here. Maybe a few every now and then, sometimes there'll be a big group, but its peaceful most of the time. That's why we have our house here," Yang says.

"I see. That's good," Velvet notes.

After walking a little while, they eventually make it to Ruby and Yang's home. This gives Velvet a chance to take it all in. It looks like a big two-story log cabin with a metal sheet roof, a mailbox outside, a wooden fence, with some plants set around the house, a porch on one side of the cabin, and several windows around the sides. All-in-all, it looked quaint.

"Huh, kind of reminds me of my old home," Velvet notes.

"I told you it was nice. Come on, I'm sure Zwei would love to meet you," Ruby says as she makes her way to the front door.

"Zwei is your pet corgi, right?" Velvet asks.

"Yep, and probably the only thing cuter than Ruby's puppy dog eyes look. But, he's a dog, so of course he'd do better than that," Yang jokes.

Ruby opens the door, and not a second later, a small black-headed tricolor Pembroke Welsh Corgi with gray eyes and wearing a red collar runs up to her and jumps in her arms, licking her face.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha, Zwei! That tickles! Oooh, I missed you two!" Ruby says as she pets the dog's belly in her arms.

"So that's Zwei," Velvet says, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep. Don't worry, he doesn't have quite as much energy as Ruby…sometimes," Yang replies as she walks around them to sit down on the living room couch.

"Zwei, we have a guest. Say hello to Velvet," she says as she points the dog at Velvet.

Velvet and Zwei look at each other for a moment before Zwei suddenly jumps out of Ruby's arms and into Velvet's, shocking her as she tries to keep the dog from getting drool all over her face.

"Hey, what the Hell?!" she yells, while Yang snickers.

"Aww, he likes you!" Ruby says, hands clasped together.

At this point, Velvet has Zwei at arms-length, "Well, if he keeps this up, I won't end up liking him," she says, growling, while Zwei tries to lick her face again.

"Okay, okay. Come on Zwei, let's give her some space," Ruby says and takes Zwei off Velvet's hands.

Free from the dog assault, Velvet takes a look around the house. First is the living room. The center of the living room is dominated by a light green rug, with a dark green couch and matching chair and a wooden coffee table centered in the rug. Between the couch and chair is an end table with a lamp on it, and at the other end of the couch is Zwei's dog bed. At the end of the rug is a wooden TV stand with a holographic projector lying on top of it and a potted plant at one end. On the wall behind the TV stand is a doorway leading to the kitchen, a large portrait depicting a night scene, and a shelving unit containing numerous books. To the left of the couch is a large brick fireplace with small pictures on the mantle and a large landscape featured above the grate. To the right of the couch is a corner staircase leading upstairs, with the door to a cabinet and a pair of small landscape pictures underneath. A low bookshelf and another green rug lie along the wall at the end of staircase, topped by another lamp. A trio of landscapes are vertically stacked on the wall at the bottom of the stairs. Behind the couch is the front door. A barrel is tucked in the corner of this wall, next to the fireplace. There are at least three windows in the room, all hung with matching green curtains.

Next, she walked into the kitchen. The kitchen is a large room that also doubles as the dining area. On the wall to the immediate right of the door is a shelving unit containing various books and another doorway, with a small landscape painting tucked away in the corner. A shovel can be seen leaning against this wall as well. In front of the archway is a large yellow rug, a mid-sized wooden dining table decorated by a matching yellow table runner and green bowl containing various fruits, and a pair of chairs with green cushion. A landscape decorates the wall next to a large window behind the chairs on the wall opposite the archway, with cream curtains, next to a door leading outside. A coat rack is attached to the wall on the other side of the door with two coats hanging from the hooks. The far end of the room contains numerous benches which wrap around the outer two walls. A large stove sits in the middle of the benches on side and a sink occupies the center of the other side. Both are directly beneath a window, though only the stove window is curtained. The wall behind the sink is decorated with a brick-style splashback and also supports five overhead cabinets. A drying rack sits on the right side of the sink. A large refrigerator is tucked in the corner against the wall opposite the sink.

"I must admit, you guys got a nice place here," Velvet notes as she walks back into the living room.

"Thanks. We also got a shed out back where our dad keeps some of his tools. I also keep Bumblebee out there two," Yang says while Ruby sits down with Zwei in her lap.

"Bumblebee?" Velvet asks.

"Oh, yeah, I never told you. Bumblebee is my motorcycle. A sweet ride that I've tweaked a little bit over the years. Good times," Yang says.

Just then the front door opens up and a man walks inside, carrying a few bags. The man has blond hair with two small strands sticking out from the top and blue eyes. His facial hair consists of a soul patch and a small stubble along his jawline. On his right arm is a tattoo similar to a heart. He wears brown cargo shorts with a dark brown belt, black shoes, a red bandana on his left arm, and a brown leather vest over a tan dress shirt with the right sleeve cut off. He is also wearing a metal spaulder, leather vambrace, and a brown fingerless glove on his right arm. Zwei runs up to him and the man puts his bags down to affectionately pet him. He then looks up and get a big smile when he sees Ruby and Yang.

"Ruby! Yang! Oh, it's good to see my girls home for the break," he says as he walks up to them to give them a big hug.

The girls return the hug, "Hi Dad! We missed you too!" they reply.

The man release them and then notices Velvet, "So, you want to introduce me to your friend here?" he asks, gesturing to Velvet.

"Oh right. Dad, this is our friend and teammate, Velvet Crowe. Velvet, this is our dad, Taiyang Xiao Long," Ruby introduces them.

"Um, nice to meet you, sir," Velvet tries to be polite, raising a hand for him to shake.

He shakes her hand, "Please, just Taiyang is fine. Nice meet you…Crowe huh? I thought I only one to deal with," he jokes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Velvet says, a little offended though she doesn't realize the joke.

Yang snickers, "He's talking about our uncle. His name is Qrow, like your last name, but spelled differently. Don't worry about it," Yang clarifies.

"Heh-heh, yeah that's what I meant. I'm just playing with you. Though I do gotta ask, how old are you? Because you seem older than Yang here," he asks.

"I'm nineteen," she says.

"Then why are you on a first-year time, especially one that already has four members? Ruby and Yang sent me a letter after initiation saying that there were only four of you," Taiyang continues.

Yang steps up, "Well, truth is Velvet actually got accepted two years ago, but had to drop out right then and there due to some family issues, and only managed to get back two years later to start her training. She came back a week after the semester started, so she went through initiation, passed it like a pro might I add, and ended up on our team. That's about it," Yang explains.

"Oh, that's what happened. Interesting. What was the family matter about, if you don't mind me asking?" Taiyang asks.

"It's personal. I'd rather not talk about it," Velvet says, looking away.

Taiyang quickly gets the message, "No problem. We all got family issues we'd rather not talk about. I understand," he says, then notices Velvet's left arm. "Is your left arm okay? Did you get it injured?" he asks, a little concerned.

"It's fine. It's not an injury. I just keep it bandaged like this because of my semblance," she answers, feeling a little uncomfortable at all the questions.

"It's a long story, Dad. How about you hold off on any more questions until dinner at least?" Yang asks, seeing Velvet get a little uneasy.

"Oh, okay, sure. I brought in some groceries for that. having pasta tonight. Yang, care to help?" he asks.

"Sure," she replies.

"Ruby, why don't you take up your bags and show Velvet where she can sleep. We have the spare bedroom that she can use," he says.

"Sure thing. Come on Velvet," Ruby says while grabbing hers and Yang's bags.

Velvet grabs her bag and follows Ruby upstairs. First, they enter Ruby and Yang's bedroom. A bed for each girl is pushed against the wall opposite the doorway, decorated with pillow cases and a throw blanket in the girls' respective colors. Between the beds is a bedside table topped by a lamp. Yang's bed has a set of drawers and a wooden desk with shelving built above it, containing a few books, with a single chair. Ruby's bed has a matching wooden desk and chair at the end of it, though her shelves have Grimm figurines on display and a string of lights hanging around them. A pair of landscape paintings decorate the wall immediately beside her bed, and on the wall opposite is a mirror. Beneath the mirror is a dog bed for Zwei. Windows occupy the walls on either side of the room, hung with green curtains with cream, red and yellow ends. Ruby drops off the sister's bags on their beds.

"This is mine and Yang's bedroom. Next is where you'll be sleeping," she says and they leave for the next room.

They enter the spare bedroom and Velvet glances around. It contains a single bed with plain bedding, a bedside table decorated with a vase of flowers, and a circular white rug. A large window occupies the wall next to the bed, hung with pale curtains.

"It's not much, but I hope you like it," Ruby says.

"It's fine. Don't worry," Velvet says as she drops her bag onto the bed and the two head back down to the kitchen.

When they enter the kitchen, they see Taiyang and Yang finishing up dinner preparations. Taiyang looks back to them.

"Excellent. We're almost done, so could you two set up the table?" he asks them.

"No problem," Ruby says while Velvet nods.

They get the tables set up with plates and utensils while Taiyang and Yang finish up the pasta. A few minutes later, dinner is served with Taiyang sitting across from Velvet and the sisters sitting in between them. For a little while, the four eat their meals with relative small talk about school, until Taiyang decides to pick up where he left off with Velvet.

"So Velvet, I'll stay away from any family related questions, but how about you tell me about where you're from as a start," he says.

"I grew up in a village outside of the kingdoms, though that village is long gone now. And I have no intention of going back," she says.

"I see…Sorry to hear about that. What about your semblance? You said it was the reason why your left arm was so bandaged up," he asks.

"Well…My semblance is that my left arm can turn into a demon claw of sorts that absorbs energy and can use Dust for different types of attacks, as well as my own fire-type attacks," she says.

"A claw that can absorb energy and Dust. I've never heard of a semblance like that before. Sounds very unique," he notes.

"Are you kidding? She and I had a sparring match one time, and she used it to absorb my strength and aura until I was eliminated. I admit, it freaked me out a little bit, but it was awesome," Yang adds.

"Absorbs aura? Now that is very unique. I bet your family and friends back at your village were feeling pretty proud that you unlocked such a semblance," Taiyang says, not knowing the truth. Ruby and Yang frown at their father's words and look at Velvet, who stops eating and looks at her plate with a sad expression. Taiyang soon picks up on it. "Hey, are you okay, Velvet?" he asks, concerned.

"I'm fine, I just…ate too much. I need some fresh air. Excuse me and thank you for the food," she says and leaves the table to head outside.

"Did I say something I shouldn't have?" he asks his daughters.

Ruby scratches her head, "I probably shouldn't say this without Velvet present, but…Velvet doesn't really like her semblance. She sees it as a curse," Ruby says.

"What? Why would she think that?" he asks.

Yang joins in, "Velvet said that when she unlocked her semblance, everyone in her village except for her family hated her. She said they called her a monster because of it. She also said that she had a little brother, but he was killed. We don't know everything, but it seems her village is not a happy memory for her," Yang explains.

"That's so awful, and here I am praising her about it like it's a gift. I'm such an idiot," he berates himself.

"No Dad, you didn't know. It's not your fault. Velvet has just had a difficult past. She has told us a lot about it, just not all of it, but we agreed to let her go at her own pace," Ruby says.

Meanwhile, Velvet stands on the porch, arms crossed over her chest as she looks up to the night sky.

 _"Why did he have to say it like that, and more importantly, why am I getting so worked up about it? Someday, I may have to tell them the truth, but I'm just not ready for it right now. I really don't need this right now,"_ she sighs.

She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath, and opens her eyes as she looks down into the forest around the house. However, when she looks into the trees, she sees a dark silhouette of what looks like a person pocking out from behind a tree before it runs deeper into the forest. Feeling uneasy about it, Velvet looks back to the house for a moment before deciding to go after the mystery figure herself, and runs into the forest.

* * *

 **And there's chapter 15. Sorry about the late update. I've had a busy weekend. Who is the one spying on Velvet? You'll have to wait until next chapter. Until then, please Read and Review.**


	16. Chapter 16: Having a Little Fun

**Here we are at chapter 16. It looks like another filler before Volume 2. Time to see Velvet's spy from before. I do not won RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 16. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Have a little fun**

Velvet races through the trees at night as she tries to track down the mystery figure that was watching her back at Ruby's home. Better judgement suggested that she should've gotten Ruby and Yang to go with her, but there was no time for that. This task, she'll have to take care of by herself. As she runs through the forest, she catches glimpses of the spy ahead of her, using the darkness to mask their appearance. Velvet follows them for a few more minutes until she comes into a large clearing in the forest. The clearing has the light of the moon to bring some light to the area as Velvet looks around for her mystery person. However, she soon here's some light foot steps ahead of her on the other side of the clearing and looks forward to see someone walking out from the shadows. Soon enough, the person steps into the light of the moon, allowing Velvet to get a good look at them.

The person turns out to be a man. He has graying black, spiky hair, red eyes, and slight stubble along his jawline. With a red, tattered cloak, he wears a gray dress shirt with a long tail, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. He also wears a ring on his right index finger, two other rings on his right fourth finger, and a necklace with a crooked cross-shaped pendant. She can also see some large metal object on his back, most likely his weapon in its non-combat form.

"Who are you? Why have you been spying on me?" she demands.

The man chuckles while pulling out a flask, "What, a guy take a stroll through the woods near someone's home without being some kind of scoundrel?" he playfully asks while drinking his flask.

"Not if it makes you look like a potential burglar or worse. I asked you a question. Now tell me why you are here?!" Velvet says, drawing her gauntlet blade for emphasis.

"I could, but where's the fun it that?" he calmly retorts, putting his flask away.

Velvet gets more aggravated, "Tell me now, or I will have no choice but to beat it out of you," she threatens him.

The man chuckles before swiping back his bangs, "Now you're speaking my language," he taunts her.

Velvet charges at him, while the man just stands there, still wearing his smug smirk. When Velvet gets close, she activates her right foot blade and swings it to get the drop on him. However, he easily leans back to avoid the strike. Retracting the foot blade, Velvet then twists around to swing her arm blade at him, but he steps back enough to dodge it. Velvet then fires off a shot at him close up, but he moves his head to the side to evade the shot. Velvet then jumps into the air and thrusts her blade at him again, but the man pulls out the metal object from behind him to block the strike. He hits a switch on it, and a large blade extends from the main body, showing it to be a large sword with a unique hilt with gears in it. The man pushes Velvet back and then swings his sword around before pointing the tip of the blade at her.

"So then, shall we continue this little dance?" he jokes, making Velvet grit her teeth in irritation.

…

Meanwhile, back at the house, Ruby gets worried with Velvet being gone for so long while Taiyang and Yang clean the dishes.

"I'm gonna go check on her," she says and gets up to leave.

Yang turns around, "Are you sure that's okay Ruby? Maybe she just needs some space right now," she says.

"She's been gone for most of dinner. I need to make sure she's okay. I'll be fine. I'll be back in a minute," Ruby says and heads to the front door. When she opens it up to check the porch, however, she finds no trace of Velvet. "Where is she?" she mutters as she looks around a moment before she suddenly hears a gunshot off into the distance. She quickly gets worried, "Velvet!" she yells and runs back into the house. "Guys, quick! Velvet's gone!" she shouts.

This gets her family's attention, "What?! Where is she?!" Yang asks.

"I don't know, but I heard a gunshot out in the forest. I think it might be her. We have to hurry, now!" she says and quickly grabs her weapon.

"We have to hurry. Let's go," Taiyang says as Yang grabs her gauntlets and they leave.

…

Back with Velvet, she backflips away as the man swings at her. When she lands, he is immediately on her and she parries four of his strikes and then activates both her foot blades in a tempest of steel at her opponent. However, the man manages to block every attack before they break off from each other. After that, the man's blade pivots down and he fires off a shotgun blast at Velvet, Velvet rolls out of the way and runs at him again. He fires off another shot, to which she sidesteps out of the way, and then blocks a strike from her arm blade as the two press their blades against one another.

"Heh, not bad, kid. But is that all you've got?" he taunts her, never losing his smirk.

"I'm just getting started, old man," she retorts.

"Old man? Now that hurt my feelings," he jokes.

Velvet deflects his sword to the ground and then kicks him in the chest, making him slide back a few feet. However, he retaliates by swinging his sword downward, sending a crescent wave shaped attack straight at Velvet. Velvet dodges the strike and fires off some more shots at the man, who swings his sword around in front of him to block the shots. The man then jumps into the air, reeling his sword back, and Velvet jumps backwards just as he slams his sword into the ground, creating a large crater in the ground.

 _"This guy is strong. If I'm going to get him to talk, I'll have to get a little more serious,"_ Velvet thinks and activates her demon claw.

This surprises the man a little bit, "Whoa, nice little trick there. I guess that explains the bandages. Got any other tricks up your sleeve?" he asks, intrigued.

"You'll find out soon enough," Velvet replies at runs at him.

When she gets close, she swings her claw at him, but he jumps back to avoid it. The man counters with a side-swing of his blade, but Velvet parries it with her claw, and then backhands him away, though he blocks the strike. Velvet conjures up a fire arte and fires at him. The attack takes the man by surprise, but he swings his sword downward to slice through the attack. Grabbing a lightning Dust crystal from her pouch, Velvet absorbs it to gain her lightning abilities. Seeing this intrigues the man, but he stays focused as Velvet charges up her arm. He runs at her, and she slams her claw into the ground, sending a large bolt blast his way. The man jumps high into the air to avoid the shot, but then Velvet fires several lightning bolts at him. The man deflects each strike as he falls, but then Velvet jumps at him and manages to grab his skull as they crash into the ground. She starts absorbing his strength, but he has just enough energy to swing his sword around to hit her claw and free himself. Getting up, the man slashes at her side, but she blocks with her claw, then tries to kick her, but she grabs his left leg at the last second. Twisting around, she maneuvers around him to smack him away with her claw. The man slowly gets up as the two eye each other.

The man smirks, "Heh, I haven't been hit like that in a while. You're pretty good kid. Looks like I'll have to get serious," he says, losing the smirk.

This puts Velvet on edge as the man pulls the trigger on his sword, causing the gears in it to turn. Suddenly, the sword segments itself and starts to bend, transforming. The handle extends, and the blade pivots, changing from a sword into a scythe. This surprises Velvet somewhat.

"So, that's your trump card, I take it?" she asks.

"Yep, though I don't use it very much," the man replies.

The two get ready to attack each other again, until they both hear rustling in the bushes and look to Velvet's right to see Ruby suddenly pop out, her sniper-scythe ready to go.

"Velvet, are you alright?!" she shouts.

"Ruby, get back, this guy is-," she begins.

"Hey there, pipsqueak," the man greets her while retracting his weapon.

Looking over at the man, Ruby gasps, quickly puts her weapon away, and then jumps at the man with a huge smile on her face.

"UNCLE QROW!" she yells as she latches onto his left arm. He raises his arm to their eye-level. "Oh, it's so good to see you! Did you miss me? DID YOU MISS ME?!" she shouts excitingly.

"…Huh?" Velvet questions, confused.

"…Nope," the man jokes, smiling while rubbing Ruby's head.

Just then, Yang and Taiyang come out of the forest and while Yang smiles at seeing the man, Taiyang groans a little bit.

"Hey, Uncle Qrow, what are you doing here?" Yang says as she walks up to him and gives him a hug.

"Heh-heh, a guy can't visit his nieces every once in a while?" he jokes.

At this point, Ruby notices Velvet with her claw out, "Wait, Velvet, were you fighting my uncle?" she asks, confused.

"Wait, you mean this DRUNK is your uncle?!" Velvet asks, shocked.

"Believe me, I find it hard to believe sometimes too. And I've known him since we were young," Taiyang notes, crossing his arms with a small smile.

Velvet retracts her blade and claw, "If you were their uncle all along, why didn't you just say so?" Velvet questions Qrow.

Ruby looks at him accusingly, "Uncle Qrow, were you the one that was fighting Velvet?" she asks, pointing a finger at him.

"Maybe," he teases her.

"Why would you do that?!" she shouts.

Qrow laughs, "What, I was just having a little fun. I'm sorry if it upset you, but I gotta admit, your little friend here is pretty good. She certainly has a few tricks up her sleeve," he replies.

Ruby sighs, "Well, at least no one got seriously hurt," she says, and then looks at Velvet. "Velvet, allow me to introduce you to my uncle, Qrow Branwen. He's a teacher at signal, and he was also the one who taught me how to use a scythe," she says.

Velvet walks up to them, "He's the one that taught you? That would explain the scythe he has, though I didn't get the chance to see him use it since you showed up during our fight. Which he started by not answering my questions," she says, glaring at him.

Qrow chuckles, "Ah, come on. I thought it was better if we got to know each other through a fight rather than a boring conversation," he says while taking out his flask and drinking it again.

"I must admit, I'm surprised you could fight like that considering you're drunk right now," Velvet notes.

"He's always drunk," Taiyang corrects her.

"What?" she asks.

Yang snickers, "Yeah, he really knows how to handle his alcohol," she adds.

"Well, now that that is all done and out of the way, why don't we all head back to the house. I saved some of your dinner that you didn't finish from earlier, Velvet," Taiyang says.

At that point, Velvet's stomach growls a little bit, making her blush slightly.

"Y-yeah, that fight made me hungry again," she says.

Taiyang chuckles, "Then let's head back," he says and they all return to the house.

…

After getting back home, Velvet finished her meal, and then the girls took turns taking showers and getting changed for the night. Meanwhile, the adults were downstairs, having their own conversation.

"Must you always fight everyone you meet?" Taiyang asks, sitting on one side of the couch with some tea in hand.

"Come one, I don't fight EVERYONE I meet. Besides, the girl turned out alright," Qrow counters.

"Most likely because you didn't go all out. You're lucky she didn't get injured, or else Ruby and Yang would never let you live it down," Taiyang retorts.

"From where I was standing, it seems like Velvet didn't use quite every ounce of her strength either. I can tell she's got a lot of experience when it comes to fighting. Wonder where she learned all that? That semblance of hers is pretty cool too," he wonders.

"…Well…While Velvet was out, and when you showed up, Ruby and Yang told me that she actually hates her semblance, calling it a curse," he says.

This makes Qrow curious, "Why is that?" he asks, taking a drink out of his flask.

"When she unlocked her semblance, everyone in her village hated her for it and saw her as a monster, except for her family. They told me she had a little brother, but he was killed. I think it's safe to say she hasn't had an easy life," he explains.

This makes Qrow look down, "None of us have had an easy life. For huntsmen like us, that's practically a given," he notes, drinking his flask again.

"Yeah. She was accepted into Beacon two years ago, but had to leave because of some family trouble that she rather not talk about, and has only recently come back to start her training," Taiyang says.

Qrow hums in acknowledgement, "We've been there. I would be a little surprised by Ozpin accepting someone two years late, but then again, Ruby was accepted two years early, so I guess that evens it out," he says.

"They all have a rough road ahead of them. It won't be easy, and there may be times when they will get hurt, if not physically, then emotionally," Taiyang starts.

"Yeah, but if they can move past those harsh times, they'll become stronger for it. We can't stop them from walking down this path, Tai, but we can be there to support them when they do," Qrow finishes.

"Yeah…You're right…That's what family's for," he says.

…

While the adults are talking, the girls were having a little slumber party of sorts…Well, if you call Velvet holding Zwei away while he tries to lick her and the sisters laughing at her expense a slumber party.

"Come on Velvet, he's not that bad. He's just showing that he likes you," she says while trying to stop laughing.

Velvet groans a little, "I know that. I just don't want his drool to get all over my face and in my hair," Velvet says.

"Yang, she has a point. Her hair is longer than yours, and that's saying something," Ruby says while taking Zwei away from Velvet.

"That reminds me. I've noticed how your hair lights up on fire whenever your semblance activates. The same with how your eyes turn red when you get angry. How does that happen without your hair getting burned off?" she asks.

"Well, my semblance allows me to absorb the energy of enemy attacks that hit me, making me stronger and allowing me to dish that damage back twice as hard. The fire on my hair is just excess energy and because it's tied to my semblance, and aura, it doesn't burn me. The eyes turning red though, haven't quite figure that out yet, but it's never been an issue. I think it's pretty cool," Yang explains.

"I see, so it's similar to my demon claw," Velvet notes.

"Yeah, basically. Though, while my hair may not burn me, I 'burn' everyone that messes with me," Yang says with a wink, making Ruby and Velvet groan.

"Anyway…so what do you think of our uncle Qrow?" Ruby asks.

"He's drunk," Velvet deadpans.

"Tell us something we don't know," Yang replies, rolling her eyes.

"Well, I guess he's a really good fighter. Though I didn't like the fact that he was smirking throughout most of our fight. It felt like he was playing with me," Velvet said, looking a little annoyed.

"Yeah, he likes to play games. With his opponents, and with us," Yang says.

"At least your dad seems normal," Velvet says.

"Yeah, though he can be really overprotective sometimes. But, it's just because he loves us," Ruby says.

Velvet then stretches her arms, "Well, I'm gonna head in. That fight with your uncle made me a little tired," she says as she gets up. "Goodnight," she says and leaves.

"Goodnight," the sisters reply.

Velvet sits in the spare bedroom, combing her hair, but a minute later, Ruby walks in and smiles.

"I thought you'd be doing this right now. That's my job, remember," she says.

Velvet hums, "Yeah…I guess it is," she says and hands Ruby the comb.

Ruby combs through Velvet's hair slowly and methodically, something Velvet takes comfort in as she breathes a relaxed sigh. For the next few minutes, the two girls just enjoy the quiet atmosphere and each other's company, until Ruby decides to break that silence.

"Hey, Velvet," Ruby says. Velvet hums in response. "Tomorrow after breakfast, can you come with me on a little trip? There's someone I want you to meet," she asks.

"Sure. Who?" Velvet asks.

"I…You'll have to wait until we get there," she replies.

"Okay. Tomorrow then," Velvet agrees. _"She must be talking about her mother. After all, I met her when I died,"_ Velvet mentally notes.

Soon, Ruby ends her treatment of Velvet's hair and the two bid each other goodnight before going to bed.

…

The next day, after breakfast, Ruby and Velvet leave the house, with Ruby carrying some flowers in her arms and her hood up. Velvet decides to keep things quiet and just follow Ruby, sensing some sadness, yet joy in Ruby right now. They traverse through the forest for a while, not really seeing any Grimm coming out to attack them. After a while, the two end up near a cliff overlooking more of Patch. Velvet walks beside Ruby as they walk up to a tombstone on the edge of the cliff. The stone has Ruby's emblem on it, with the words "Summer Rose, Thus kindly I scatter" engraved under it. Her mother's grave.

"Ruby…Is this…" Velvet asks, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah…This is my mom. Summer Rose," Ruby replies while placing her flowers in front of the grave. "She died when I was just a little girl, though I don't really know the details. She was one of the main reasons I wanted to be a huntress. She was 'supermom', baker of cookies and slayer of monster," she says before kneeling before the grave and clasping her hands together in a prayer.

While she wasn't really religious, she didn't want to be rude, so Velvet kneeled down as well to pray alongside Ruby. After a moment, Ruby removes her hood and looks at the grave.

"Hey mom…Sorry it's been a while since I last talked. I've been busy at Beacon. Yeah, I got in two years early thanks to Professor Ozpin. I've learned a lot of things there, and I'm having a great time. I think being on a team with Yang helps. I keep her in line…That was a joke. She's actually a really great fighter, you can tell she's learned a lot from Dad. Well, so are Weiss, Blake, and Velvet. Oh, they're my teammates. Together, we form Team RVWBY. And yes, before you ask, that does cause a lot of confusion. We're the first team to have five members. Speaking of which…There's someone I want you to meet," she says and gestures for Velvet to sit closer, which she does. "Mom, this is Velvet. She's a friend of mine and one of my teammates," Ruby introduces Velvet.

 _"I'm not very good at this,"_ Velvet thinks. "Um…Hello, Miss Rose. My name's Velvet…It's nice to meet you. Um…*sigh* your daughter has proven to be a really good leader. She's helped me out a number of times. I can tell you raised her well. She's a strong fighter, and an even better person. Though, I'm sure you've known that all along," Velvet says. The two remain quiet for a moment, until Velvet notices Ruby shedding a few tears. Instinctively, she pulls Ruby into a one-armed embrace and brushes the tears away. "Ruby, what's wrong?" she asks, concerned.

"…I miss her. I miss Mom. Sometimes I wonder if she's proud of me. If I'm doing the right things in her eyes," Ruby cries.

Velvet holds her closer, brushing away more tears. "Ruby, I don't know your mother, but you know what?" she begins.

Ruby looks at her, "What?" she asks.

"I don't have to. I know, for a fact, that your mother is proud of you. You are someone I don't see too often; someone whose only desire is to help others. You possess a light in your heart that can shine through any darkness. And I'm sure your mother is watching you every step of the way, and smiling at all you've accomplished," Velvet encourages her.

Her words make Ruby smile again and lose the rest of her tears, "Thanks Velvet. I feel much better now," she says.

"Good," she replies, before out of nowhere, she places a chaste kiss on Ruby's forehead, surprising her. "Besides, I think you look better with a smile on your face than with tears in your eyes," she says, making Ruby blush.

The two remain quiet for a few more minutes, sitting in front of Summer's grave before deciding to head back. However, Velvet keeps her arm around Ruby the whole time, something the scythe wielder has no objections to. Velvet glances back at the grave one last time before looking back ahead.

 _"I know you're watching her, Summer Rose. Your daughter is strong, and I'll be there for her every step of the way. I made a promise to you, but now it's more than just that. I want to protect Ruby, not just because of a promise, but of my own free will now. And I WILL, no matter what."_

* * *

 **I couldn't resist having a little fun with Qrow, I love that old drunk. I also needed to do some more bonding with Ruby and Velvet. Now Velvet has met the family, at least the ones that give a damn about family (except for Raven). What awaits Velvet and her team in the future? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	17. Chapter 17: Food Frenzy

**Here's chapter 17. Updates will not be as frequent for a while now since there are some things I have to take care of, but this story is far from over. This one starts in Volume 2. Anyway, I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 17. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Food Frenzy**

The break went by without much happening. Velvet got to learn a little more about Ruby and Yang's family, and to her surprise, had a pleasant time at their home. When they returned to Beacon for the new semester, they reunited with Weiss and Blake. Weiss was glad to see them, and happy to be away from her father for the next several months. Blake mainly did a lot more reading during the break, but was glad to see her friends again. However, Velvet started to notice something, not regarding her teammates, but with herself. Specifically, whenever she's near Ruby. Whenever she's near the weapon loving geek, she feels a little happier for some reason, which is strange to her. She originally thought it was because Ruby is always so full of energy and happy most of the time, but as time passed, she started to doubt this theory.

Currently, Velvet is on her way to Ozpin's office as he wanted to speak with her, though for what reason, she does not know. Her teammates asked if they should go with her, but she told them that lunch was starting up shortly and to just save her a seat and some food for her when she gets back. After a few minutes of walking, she enters the elevator to take her to Ozpin's office up above. Once the elevator reaches the top floor, Velvet exits to see Ozpin sitting in his chair behind his desk and Professor Goodwitch standing next to him.

"Good to see you, Velvet. Please, have a seat," he greets her and gestures to a chair in front of him.

"Headmaster. Professor," she nods to them and takes the offered seat. "So, care to tell me why you called me up here?" she asks.

"Well first, I wanted to know if you were adjusting well to school life. Have you been doing well?" he asks.

"It's fine. My teammates help me out. Makes things easier," she replies.

"That's good. Now then, knowing you, it would be best if we got straight to the point. We have some questions regarding your…origins," he confesses.

"I see. Figured this conversation would come around sooner or later. Let me guess, you've been looking for any information about me, and have found absolutely nothing, right?" Velvet says, crossing her arms and one leg over the other.

"Pretty much. Now getting information about people who live beyond the kingdom walls and live in isolated villages is usually more difficult than getting information on those that do live in the kingdoms, but we can still find some records. However…in your case, we have found nothing related to you. No birth records, next of kin, previous school history, or criminal records. It's as if you never existed," Ozpin explains.

"You must understand, Miss Crowe. While you haven't been a problem for any of us, aside from some fights you've gotten into with other students, though they were mostly Team CRDL, you're essentially an unknown for us, and that puts us a little on edge. You said your claw was your semblance, however, you were able to use it even before I unlocked your aura. A person's semblance is tied to their aura, so you having one without the other is impossible. And your story about how you ended up in the Emerald Forest when we first met you isn't exactly a logical one. It is hard for us to trust you when there is so much we don't know about you, and that could put the students in unnecessary danger," Glynda adds.

"We are not your enemies, Velvet. But if we are to be able to trust you more, we need you to tell us about yourself. Please, you can trust us," Ozpin pleads with her.

Velvet looks down, thinking, _"I can't just blindly trust them and spill my guts to them. I'm sure they have secrets of their own that they don't want people to know about, being people of their positions and all…But I need some breathing room. Otherwise, it may make things harder for me or for my teammates in the future,"_ she muses to herself before looking back at them. "I can't tell you," she answers.

Ozpin sighs, "Velvet, please you must-," he begins.

"I can't tell you everything. You're better off not knowing. But I can tell you at least one thing," she interrupts him.

"And that would be?" Goodwitch asks her.

"My reason for being here," Velvet says.

"Which is?" Ozpin inquires.

"…To protect Ruby Rose," Velvet answers.

This catches them by surprise, "May I ask why you'd want to protect your team leader?" Ozpin asks again.

"I have my own reasons. But originally…It was because her mother asked me to," Velvet admits, once more shocking them. "Are we done now?" she asks.

"No, we-," Glynda begins.

"Yes, that is all for now. Thank you for telling us this, Velvet. I believe we won't have to worry about you anymore now. You may go," Ozpin interrupts her.

"I think we can both agree that no one needs to know about this, especially Ruby. Later," she says and gets up. "But make no mistake Ozpin, I will protect Ruby from anyone that would attempt to harm her. That has no exceptions, including you," she says as she leans closer to him. "You do anything that would put Ruby in danger…" she starts and activates her demon claw. "…And I will EAT you," she warns him before deactivating her claw and leaves the office.

"Professor Ozpin, why did you let her leave? What she told us only left us with more questions. How did Velvet know Summer Rose? And Summer Rose is dead, so how would she have told Velvet to watch over Ruby, and for what reasons? More importantly, she just threatened you!" Glynda exclaims.

"I understand your concern, however we can't push her too much, or else she'll never tell us anything. Just as she has to earn our trust, we have to earn hers. Besides, though she is dead, I trusted Summer Rose. She was an excellent student, and an even better human being. If somehow, Velvet met Miss Rose, who sent her here to protect Ruby, then I say we let her perform that task, especially since it may actually help us in the end. As for her threat, she was only making it clear that she WILL protect Ruby, even if it means she would have to go against me. If I ever did do something that would put Miss Rose in unnecessary danger, than I deserve whatever punishment Miss Crowe does to me. Let it go," he explains, making Glynda eventually relent with a heavy sigh.

Back with Velvet, she is on her way to the cafeteria to meet up with her team, though her thoughts drift back to her talk with Ozpin.

 _"I have to keep the truth from them for as long as I can. I just can't trust them yet…But what about my team? Should I tell them about me, about what I am?"_ she wonders.

After a short walk, she makes it to the cafeteria, though she hears some noises behind the doors. She opens up the doors and what she sees is a mess. Tables are stacked up on one side of the cafeteria, with some soda machines in front. Only one aisle of tables remains normal in the center of the room. And food and drinks are spilled all over the place. She sees Sun with some guy with blue hair, goggles, a red jacket, and blue pants watching on the sidelines. What she notices the most is how her team and Team JNPR are in the most intense food fight imaginable.

"What the Hell is going on here?!" she yells, getting all their attention.

"Velvet, we need your help. We have to defeat Team JNPR and bring delicious justice to them," Ruby replies.

"Off with her head too!" Nora screams while throwing a pie at Velvet when she wasn't looking.

The pie nails Velvet in the face, which actually makes everyone in the room freeze in place as they looked on in horror. The pie slowly falls off Velvet's face, revealing her left eyebrow twitching and her eyes narrowed. Everyone stays absolutely still as Velvet slowly walks to a lone table off to the side.

"You all want to fight? Okay then…" she says, activating her demon claw and grabs the table with it. "LET'S FIGHT!" she shouts and throws the table straight at Team JNPR.

All except Jaune are able to dodge the table, while the blonde gets slammed by it, sending him into the castle of tables, causing it to tumble down. Pyrrha looks up to see Velvet already on her, and quickly grabs a baguette of bread to use as a sword to try to block her claw strike. She just barely manages to block it, but Velvet grabs it and flings her around before throwing her away towards Team JNPR's side of the cafeteria.

"Aw yeah, now you have to deal with all of Team RVWBY now!" Yang says, and rushes at Ren with a pair of chickens being worn like boxing gloves.

However, as she goes to punch him, Velvet suddenly grabs her left arm, and flings her into the air before slamming her onto the ground and then throwing her back behind her. Ren uses this chance to attack with a pair of leeks at her rear, but Velvet reacts in time to kick him back before going on the attack. Ren tries with three strikes of his leeks, but Velvet grabs a pair of knives and holds them in the fingers of her right hand and starts deflecting each attack from Ren before she goes to grab his skull and slams him through a table. By this, point Yang gets back up.

"What the Hell?! We're on the same team!" she yells.

"I know! But I'm sure YOU started this whole mess, so that was payback, for that, and all of your stupid puns!' Velvet shouts.

At this point, Weiss jumps in, wielding a swordfish like her rapier and thrusts it at Nora. Nora jumps back before jumping up into the air to grab a pole off the wall and then sticks it into a watermelon, making it into a hammer. She jumps up and tries to slam it down on Weiss, but she jumps back to avoid it. The two then duel against each other, with Weiss attempting a few swings of her swordfish, but Nora swings her melon hammer around before nailing Weiss with a powerful strike that sends her flying into a pillar, breaking it and knocking her out. Ruby jumps and grabs Weiss in her arms before landing with the unconscious Schnee.

"Weiss! Weiss! Don't leave me. NNNNOOOOOOOOO!" she screams dramatically.

"Spare me the drama. Blake, let's go," she says and she and Blake run at the other team.

Meanwhile, Yang fights against Nora with their own food weapons, with both coming at each other to deal a finishing blow. However, Nora's weapon has better reach as she swings it upward, hitting Yang and sending her flying through the roof. Velvet and Blake avoid the falling debris and run at Nora, with Pyrrha getting up behind her. Nora runs at them while Pyrrha activates her semblance, causing numerous soda cans to come together and swarm into the air and after them. Velvet blocks Nora's hammer with her claw, crushing it, and then Blake jumps over her to kick Nora in the face. However, the both of them are forced to move back when the soda can swarm comes at them, giving Nora the chance to retreat. Pyrrha sends all the cans at them. The cans strike Blake and send her flying into a wall, coated in soda colors, but Velvet conjures up a fire arte and fires it through the cans, destroying all of them.

"Ruby, now!' Velvet calls out to her.

Ruby nods and takes a runner's position before using her semblance to shoot over to the other side of the cafeteria. Velvet backflips high over her, impaling her claws into the ceiling to avoid the giant food tempest that follows behind Ruby as she starts spinning around like a red missile. The attack sweeps up the members of Team JNPR, taking them with it, and then Ruby stops right at one wall, damaging it from the shockwave of her stop. Team JNPR crash into the wall, and then Ruby jumps up while the food tempest pounds onto the poor members of Team JNPR, burying them in food. Ruby jumps down, as does Velvet, and looks back to see the defeated team fall onto the ground, leaving their body prints in the wall of food.

"Nice work Velvet. Delicious justice has been served!" Ruby cheers, to which Velvet offers a small smile.

"I love these guys," Sun says to his friend…who is covered in grape soda.

A moment later, Glynda bursts through the doors behind them, growling as she uses her semblance to clean up the whole room in seconds.

"Children, please. Do NOT play with your food," she says, adjusting her glasses.

The members of the two teams, aside from Velvet, look scared until Nora burps loudly and then Yang falls back onto the ground, hard. The two teams start laughing at each other since their covered in food, and even Velvet allows a chuckle to escape her mouth. Glynda gets angry, until Ozpin places a hand on his shoulder.

"Let it go," he calms her down.

Glynda sighs, "They're supposed to be the defenders of the world," she says.

"And they will be, but right now they're still children…So why not let them play the part," he says and turns to leave. "After all…it isn't a roll they'll have forever. I'm sure young Miss Crowe there knows that better than any of them. I think she should be able to smile while she still can, don't you?" he asks and leaves.

Glynda thinks upon his words and looks at Velvet, whose trying to get food out of her hair, and sighs as she thinks that Ozpin has a fair point. After having a few more laughs, the two teams return to their dorms rooms to clean themselves up. Yang is the first to enter, wanting to fix her hair as soon as possible, with Weiss complaining about not wanting her to hog all the hot water again. Soon after Yang gets done, Weiss goes in next followed by Blake, and then Ruby. A short while later, Ruby gets down and comes out, clean and in her regular attire.

"Okay, Velvet, it's all yours," she says.

Velvet nods to her and heads in to take her shower. As she lets the water cascade down her body, she can't help but feel grateful at the water helping get any food out of her long hair. While she remains in the shower, her thoughts drift back to before she entered the cafeteria.

 _"Should I tell them? Should I tell them the truth about what I am? About how I came to be a demon and what happened to me in the past? Sure, Blake kept the fact that she's a Faunus and a former member of the White Fang a secret, but there's a difference between being a Faunus and being a demon,"_ Velvet muses while she's in the shower.

Velvet sighs before turning it off and getting out to dry off before putting her normal clothes on, and leaves the bathroom.

"Ah, nice to get all that food out of my hair," she notes as she goes to sit on her bed.

"Food? I had pieces of the ceiling in mine after Nora knocked me into the sky," Yang groans on her bunk.

"How high did you go anyway? You were gone for the rest of the fight after that," Ruby asks.

"Not exactly sure, but I'm pretty sure it was higher than Beacon tower. Too busy spinning in the air to notice. And then I landed back down, hard," Yang says while rubbing her head.

"Well, I say you deserved it. After all, you were the one that started that food fight and got a pie thrown in my face," Weiss adds.

"Oh come on Weiss, don't act like you didn't have fun," Blake notes while reading some notes.

"…Well…I guess I had a LITTLE fun with it," she confesses, making Ruby snicker. "Quiet you!"

"So someone want to explain to me exactly how you guys manage to start a food war with Team JNPR while I was gone," Velvet asks.

"Well, our blonde brute here was playing with Nora, catching food she flung at her with her mouth. After she made ANOTHER terrible pun-," Weiss begins.

"Hey! My jokes are good and you know it!" Yang defends herself.

"-As I was saying, after she made another terrible pun, Nora threw an apple at her face. Yang threw it back, Nora threw a pie that hit my face, and it just went downhill from there," Weiss explains.

"Anyway, why did Professor Ozpin ask to see you before Velvet? What did he want to talk about?" Ruby asks.

"Not much…Just wanted to make sure I'm doing alright. I am technically two years behind after all, in a matter of speaking," she lies.

"Good point. Ozpin did ask me one time about how I'm doing since I'm here two years early. I told him I was doing fine. Took a little while to catch up, but I got it under control now," Ruby says.

"Well anyway, I'm going to go study in the library. Blake, do you what to come with me?" Weiss asks as she grabs a few books.

Blake hesitates, "I…I'll pass, I wanna get some reading done, and there's a quiet spot that I go to for that. Maybe next time," she replies.

"I see…Very well, I'll see you later then," she says and leaves, with Blake leaving shortly behind her.

"Well, I'm going to the training room. Gotta stay in shape after all. See ya later," Yang says and leaves after them.

Velvet looks at Ruby, who's on her own bunk, _"…I should tell her at least. I don't want to keep everything away from her. She deserves to know,"_ she muses.

"I think I'll head to the weapons forge to do some maintenance on Crescent Rose. See ya later, Velvet," she says as she goes to leave.

"Actually Ruby, there's something I wanted to talk to you about," she says, getting her attention.

"What's that?" she asks.

"It's best if you sit for this," Velvet says, gesturing to a spot on her bed.

"Um, okay," Ruby replies, getting a little nervous as she sits down next to Velvet. "What's up, Velvet?" she asks.

"Before I start, I want you to know that whatever you decide to do after I tell you, I'll respect your decision, okay?" she begins.

"Velvet, you're making me uneasy. What's wrong?" she asks, getting a little worried.

Velvet takes a deep breath, "Ruby…The truth is…I'm not human."

* * *

 **Cliffhanger! Finally got this one done. Hope I did a good job on the food fight. IT WAS AWESOME! Sorry about the late update, but that's gonna be normal for a while. Don't worry, they'll keep coming around though. Velvet tells Ruby the truth. How will she respond? Until next time, please Read and Review.**


	18. Chapter 18: The Truth

**Hello, time to see the outcome of Velvet's confession to Ruby about her origins. How will this end up? Let's find out. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 18. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: The Truth**

"Wh-what?" Ruby asks, confused.

"I'm not human Ruby, I'm serious," Velvet admits, looking her straight in the eye.

"What do you mean? Are you saying you're a Faunus like Blake?" Ruby asks.

Velvet slowly shakes her head, "No. I'm not human. And I'm not a Faunus either. I'm…a demon," she says.

"Wait. I don't understand. Velvet, you're scaring me," Ruby replies, a little frightened.

Velvet sighs, "The truth is, I used to be human…until a few years ago. A long time ago, I lived with my younger brother, Laphicet, our older sister, Celica, and her husband…Artorius, though we called him Arthur back then. We lived in a village, and it was relatively peaceful. One night, the moon became red, known as the Scarlet Night, my sister became part of a ritual of sorts, and she died…along with Artorius' unborn child. It only got worse on the second Scarlet Night. It was then, that everything went to Hell…" Velvet begins, looking at her left arm. "I was almost killed by a demon known as a Blood Wolf, but Artorius saved me. However, then I find him with Laphicet. He performs another ritual and then he…he kills Laphicet in order to gain more power. He wanted to prove that only through reason, and not emotion, can the world be saved. He tried to sacrifice me as well, but the demons in the area became nestled in my left arm. That's how I ended up with these powers. I can devour demons with this arm and absorb their souls, becoming stronger. I became what was known as a therion. Seeing that he couldn't use me, he kept me in an island prison for three years, where I ate demons everyday with this power to survive. Throughout those years, I only thought of one thing…Revenge," she says, her eyes narrowing. "I wanted revenge against Artorius for destroying my life and for killing my brother. One day, a spirit known as a malakhim named Seres came and rescued me. She sacrificed herself to give me the chance to escape that prison, and pursue my revenge. During my journey, I met my friends, the ones I told you about before, and together we faced off against Artorius and his followers. He was hailed as a savior of the world, and I became known as the 'Lord of Calamity' for opposing him. It was emotion versus reason between us. That young boy I met, whom I named Laphicet, was also a malakhim. In fact, he was my little brother reborn as a malakhim, and Seres was Celica reborn as a malakhim as well. We faced off against Artorius, and we won. I killed him, and took my revenge…And then I…" Velvet trailed off as she looks down.

"Then you what?" Ruby asks quietly, remaining silent throughout the story.

Velvet looks back at Ruby, "…And then I died," she admits.

Ruby gasps, "Velvet, this isn't making any sense. How could you have died if you're here right now?" she asks, getting scared.

"I did die. But then I woke up in some white place, where someone was waiting for me," she says.

"Who was waiting for you?" Ruby asks.

"You may not believe me, and you may hate me for saying this, but the person who was waiting for me…was your mother, Summer Rose," Velvet confesses.

Ruby gasps again in shock, "M-Mom? You…you met my mom?" she asks.

Velvet nods, "Yes. You see, she wanted me to do something for her. In return, she would bring me back to life, though apparently with some slight alterations. I agreed to do her task, and she brought me back to life, and sent me here to Remnant," she says.

"To Remnant? Velvet…Are…Are you saying that-," Ruby begins.

"Yes…I'm not from Remnant. I am from a different world, though it is not entirely unlike this one," Velvet confesses another secret.

"Wait, what did my Mom want you to do?" Ruby asks.

Velvet then gently takes Ruby's hands into her own, "She wanted me to protect you. And I accepted," she says. Ruby goes silent, though her mouth remains open as her eyes widen. "She wanted me to protect you because she still loves you, and regrets that she can't be a part of your life anymore. That's why she sent me. However…as I spent more time with you, that changed. I originally came to protect you because I had to, but as I got to know you more, I changed. Now, I want to protect you, not because I have to, but because I WANT to. I want to be there for you of my own free will. I don't know, it's just that…I just feel…happier when I'm near you. If that makes any sense to you," she says.

"Velvet…" Ruby mutters.

Velvet lets go of her hands, and looks down, "However, now that you know the truth, I can understand if you feel angry with me for keeping this from you for so long. I just…didn't know how to tell you until now. But, if you want me to leave, then I'll go and you'll never see me again. All you have to do is say the word," Velvet says. However, Ruby remains speechless for a while, which starts to unnerve her. "I see…Very well, I'll leave. It was really nice knowing you, Ruby," she says and stands up to leave. However, as she walks by, Ruby suddenly grabs her right hand, getting her to look at Ruby. "Ruby?"

Ruby keeps her hair over her eyes, but tightens her grip, "Don't…Don't go," she mutters.

Velvet sits back down, "Ruby…" she calls to her, but Ruby doesn't look at her. "You hate me, don't you? I understand if-," she begins.

"No, I don't…It's just…It's a lot to take in. I am a little upset that you kept this from everyone for so long. But then again, it is a little hard to believe," she says.

"So you don't believe me either," Velvet says.

"No..." Ruby says as she finally looks up at Velvet. "I actually DO believe you. You're not the kind of person that would lie about something like this. It's just gonna take me a little while to process all of this," she says and slowly leans closer to Velvet. "Will you…Will you just hold me…like you did back on the roof that one night?" she asks.

Velvet gently takes Ruby into her arms, rubbing her back to soothe her worries and leaning her head on Ruby's.

"Of course," she says.

Ruby sighs, "Thank you. For telling me all of this. It was good to hear that my mom was still watching over me. Ironically, I guess you can say you're my guardian angel," she jokes.

"I'm a demon, remember?" Velvet clarifies.

"Yeah, but you're a really nice demon…Did you have to kill a lot of people back in your world?" Ruby asks.

"I…I did. I was just so consumed by my revenge that I would destroy anyone who got in my way. But, it was Laphicet that reminded me of what's important. He saved me. Does that scare you?" she asks.

"A little. But that was back in your world. You're in Remnant now, and you're not the same person as before. I know this to be a fact," Ruby replies. Then her eyelids start to drift down and she yawns. "Guess I'm getting a little tired," she says.

"How about I help you get to your bunk?" Velvet asks.

"Actually, could we stay like this? Just for a little longer?" Ruby asks.

Velvet shows a soft smile, "For as long as you want," she says.

"Thanks Velvet," Ruby replies as she closes her eyes and snuggles closer to Velvet.

A while later, the other members of Team RVWBY show up, and what they see astounds them. They find Ruby and Velvet, with the former wrapped in the arms of the latter, sleeping on Velvet's bed, with content smiles on their faces as they snuggle closer with each other. Blake looks on with interest, Weiss has a slight blush on her face, and Yang has a huge smile on hers.

"Aw, that's SO cute," Yang whispers, trying to not make any noise that would wake them up.

"Did I miss something?" Blake whispers back.

"Well, what do we do? Should we wake them up?" Weiss asks.

"Hell no, this is too good to pass up," Yang says as she pulls out her scroll and goes to take a picture.

"Take that picture and you die," Velvet suddenly whispers without opening her eyes.

This spooks Yang as she ends up almost dropping her scroll, "What? Velvet, you were awake the whole time?" she asks.

"I WAS asleep until you guys walked in. So like I said before, take that picture and/or wake Ruby up, and you die," she warns them as she finally opens her eyes to them. "I'd rather Ruby not have to deal with any extra teasing from you because of this. It's bad enough we have to deal with your terrible puns," Velvet says as she slowly sits up, making sure to wrap Ruby's cloak around her for warmth.

However, the action stirs Ruby awake as she slowly opens her eyes and looks to see the rest of the team in the room. Quickly realizing that they found her in a precarious position, her face becomes like that of a tomato and she jumps up into a sitting position.

"G-guys, you're back! So, uh…How you've been?" she asks, getting nervous.

"Forget it Ruby, they found us taking a nap together," Velvet says, making Ruby look horrified with embarrassment. "Don't worry, I made sure Yang didn't take any pictures," she continues, which eases Ruby's worries a bit.

"Jeez, you make it sound like I was gonna do something bad with them if I did take any pictures," Yang says, but then everyone gives her a flat stare. "What?"

"Anyway, how did you two end up like this, if you don't mind me asking?" Weiss asks.

Velvet gets a little anxious as she wasn't ready to tell the others the truth yet. Just telling Ruby alone was hard enough. She was glancing around, trying to come up with an excuse until Ruby steps up.

"Oh, well since it was quiet with you guys gone, we did some studying of our own for a while. After we got done, we put our books away and then just talked about regular stuff. I guess we just ended up falling asleep because of that," Ruby comes up with a story for Velvet.

Velvet looks back at Ruby, who just responds with a knowing smile, to which she responds with one of her own.

"If only you were as interested in studying when you're with me," Weiss notes as she sits on her bed.

"Maybe if you weren't such a slave-driver when it comes to studying, we would do it with you more often," Yang deadpans.

"Well excuse me for liking to study and get excellent grades in my classes. Hmph," Weiss retorts, puffing her cheeks a little.

"You do know that Yang isn't as…studious as you, right?" Blake asks.

"Believe me, I've noticed," Weiss mutters, making Ruby laugh and Velvet smirk.

The rest of the day goes by without much else going on and soon night comes and the team prepare to head in for the night. Ruby and Velvet are in the bathroom brushing their teeth and getting ready to head in. Meanwhile, Yang gathers the rest of the team for a little secret chat.

"Has anyone noticed anything different about Velvet?" Yang asks.

"Well, she does seem nicer then when we first met her. We have gotten to know one another pretty well, so I guess that has something to do with it," Blake notes.

"No, no, no, that's not exactly what I meant. I was talking about how she always seems happier and more laid back whenever Ruby's around," Yang corrects her.

"So, what's your point, Yang?" Weiss asks.

"My point is I think Velvet has a crush on Ruby," Yang quietly exclaims.

"What? Ridiculous, Velvet never crossed me as the type to care about things such as romance," Weiss rejects the idea.

"Actually…" Blake starts, making them look at her. "I have noticed how she acts when she's with Ruby. I can't believe I'm saying this…but I think Yang may have a point," Blake says, making Yang show a goofy grin.

"What?! I mean, come on, Velvet doesn't look like someone who's into that sort of stuff, and Ruby is…well…What is Ruby into exactly?" Weiss asks.

"Let's just say that our dad wouldn't ever have to worry about Ruby bringing home any boyfriends over for dinner," Yang says.

This makes Weiss blush when she figures out what Yang meant, "I-I see…I never pegged Ruby for being into that kind of thing," Weiss mutters.

"Wait, aren't you concerned about this Yang? I mean, she is your sister after all," Blake asks.

"Well, if it was a guy, then I'd probably beat them to a pulp. However, since it's a girl, and that girl is Velvet. I think she'll be alright. I've gotten to know Velvet pretty well, and Ruby always seems happy when she's with her, so I'm cool with it," Yang responds.

Meanwhile, Ruby and Velvet were having their own conversation.

"…Thanks for having my back, back there," Velvet says as she wipes her mouth.

Ruby swishes some mouthwash in her mouth before spitting it out, "No problem. I could tell you weren't ready to tell them about what you told me," she replies.

"Thanks. I will tell them the truth, but I need some time before I can. And it may not be everything I told you, but I will tell them. It was hard getting the guts to tell you, but I believed you deserved to know the most," Velvet says as she leans her hands on the countertop.

Ruby places a supportive hand on her shoulder, "Just take your time. Don't worry, I know they'll understand. Just know that I'll support you all the way," she says.

This make Velvet smile a little, "Thanks Ruby," she says.

"No problem. Come on, I still have to comb your hair before we can head in," she says as they leave the bathroom. However, when they enter the main room, they see Weiss, Blake, and Yang huddled together, talking about something. "Uh, what are you guys talking about?" she asks.

The three girls' heads pop up as they quickly separate from each other.

"Oh, uh, you know just girl stuff," Yang says nervously, playing with her hair.

"Yes, we were, uh…discussing about possibly changing some of our hair products. Try some new ones," Weiss lies with her.

"I got roped into it without a say in the matter," Blake flatly replies like she usually does.

"Hair products? Well, I have been thinking about trying this new shampoo that's supposed to be strawberry-scented. Maybe we could get some the next time we're in Vale," Ruby buys it.

Velvet however, isn't quite sure that's what it was," Are you sure that's what it was?" she asks, eyes narrowing.

The three start to sweat under her intimidating gaze, but luckily they're saved by their innocently oblivious leader.

"Come on, Velvet. I'm sure it's nothing. Besides, maybe we can find something for you. All you really do with your hair is brush it, comb it, and wet it a little bit. Don't you want to try something to make it look better?" Ruby asks.

"No. Never really saw a reason to. Beside, you do know that beauty products weren't at the top of my priorities list before I came here, remember?" she says.

"Oh, good point. Well, maybe now we can change that. But anyway, let's get to combing your hair," Ruby says as she sits down on Velvet's bed.

Velvet shrugs her shoulders and sits down in front of her, focused entirely on the feeling of Ruby combing her hair. Meanwhile, the other three girls pull out their scrolls to send secret messages to each other in a group chat.

Weiss glances at Ruby and Velvet before making her reply, "Okay, maybe you have a point, Yang…I can't believe I just said that," Weiss texts to Yang.

"Told ya. Now that we are all in agreement on this matter, now's the time for the next step," Yang texts back.

"What are you talking about?" Blake texts.

"I'm talking about getting these two together. They would look so cute together. As a bonus, I get to tease Ruby about having a girlfriend, LOL," Yang replies.

"So let me get this straight, you'd rather play some stupid game of matchmaker with your sister and our friend than study, and you want us to help?" Weiss texts her, getting annoyed. Yang responds with a smiley face symbol. "…What do you have in mind?" she asks.

"Wait, you actually agree with this?" Blake asks, stunned.

"Good point. Yang, I'll help, but only if you promise to study with me for the next month so we can get your grades up," Weiss texts.

"You can't be serious?" Yang replies, but then she glances at Weiss, who gives her a stern look. "…Okay, fine. It's a deal," she relents, earning a smile from the heiress.

"I think I'll sit this one out," Blake texts.

"Oh no, If I have to get roped into Yang's twisted plan, then so do you. You're not getting out of this one," Weiss stops her.

Blake sighs, "Fine. I have read a few…romance novels in the past, so I have some knowledge in this field that could help," Blake agrees to help.

"Excellent. Tomorrow, we commence Operation: Get Ruby and Velvet together," she declares, fist pumping into the air, while the others lower their heads at the terrible name.

"What's got you excited, Yang?" Ruby suddenly asks.

Yang goes wide-eyed, "Oh nothing. Just that I found some ideas on what to do for new hair products for myself. Heh-heh-heh," she laughs it off. _"This is gonna be fun."_

* * *

 **So now Ruby know the truth, but has accepted Velvet anyway. I didn't want it to go bad. Yang begins her 'nefarious' plan of matchmaker. What awaits Ruby and Velvet in the future? Give me some shipping name ideas in your reviews. I'm curious to see what you guys think because so far, the only name I can think of is "Demon Rose" or something like that. Anyway, until next time, please Read and Review.**


	19. Chapter 19: Matchmaking - Part 1

**Over 100 Followers! A shout out to all of the people who have been reading, following, and favoriting this story. I didn't think it would get this popular, but thanks you guys. Well, time to get underway. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 19. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Matchmaker – Part 1**

A week had passed since Velvet's confession to Ruby, and things have been relatively normal since then. Classes went by without much going on. However, every now and then, Velvet started to notice the other members of Team RVWBY acting a little differently. Ruby was fine, however the others, not so much. The other three would glance at her sometimes with expressions that showed they were deep in thought. The most came from Yang. A few times, Velvet had asked what was her issue, but Yang would just play it off. Knowing she wouldn't get a straight answer from her, Velvet let it go, but kept her eyes peeled, feeling something was up. The other issue was how Blake was starting to keep more and more to herself than usual, which was starting to irritate her, but she decided to give her some space for now and confront her about it as a team when the time came.

Currently, the three members of Team RVWBY were in their dorm, while Ruby was away at the forge, and Velvet was off training.

"Jeez, I didn't think it would be this hard to keep things secret from Velvet. I think she's on to us," Yang says as she lays on her bunk, swinging her legs off the side.

"Well, what did you expect? She's a skilled warrior who's probably seen more action than we all have combined. Of course she's going to notice something's off. We've all done almost everything below stalking her for Oum's sake," Weiss says while studying on her bunk.

Yang sighs, "Blake, what do you think?" Yang asks, but gets no answer. "Blake? Blake!" she yells, finally getting her attention.

Blake regains focus from her notes, "W-what is it?" she asks.

"What do you think we should do about Velvet and Ruby? We have to get them together, or else my matchmaking plan will be ruined," Yang whines.

Blake groans, "Why should we? I don't quite see how that's any of our business," Blake retorts.

"Well, I'm doing this just to get Yang off my back, and I will not suffer through this by myself. So deal with it," Weiss says.

Blake sighs, "Fine. Well, I guess one idea would be to get them in an environment that would set the mood. I would think dinner under the moonlight would be nice, but that may be pushing it too fast for right now," Blake says.

"Yeah, I think we should save that for later. For now, perhaps we should try getting those two alone sometimes and let them build off from what progress they've made so far. They seem to be doing alright without our help, if finding them snuggled together on the same bed is any indication," Weiss reasons.

"Great, well now that I've done my part for today, I'm leaving. I'll be in the library," Blake says and quickly leaves the room before the other two can stop her.

"Blake, wait…Ugh, guess it's just us for now," Yang says.

"She's been doing that a lot lately," Weiss notes.

"Yeah, I've noticed. We'll figure that out later. So, got any ideas on how we can get Ruby and Velvet alone together?" Yang asks.

"Well, saying that we have to leave when they show up too many times will make them suspicious, though Velvet already is at this point. We need to be tactful about this…," Weiss muses.

…

Velvet had just finished her training session and was on her way back to her dorm. However, she decided to get some fresh air along the way and went to the courtyard for a walk. When she gets there, she notices several Atlas airships flying by followed by three larger airships landing at the landing pads at the front of the school.

" _What the Hell is going on now?"_ she wonders.

Stepping out of one airship, she sees a man whose poster says he's in charge. The man is wearing a white overcoat, with a gray undercoat, black sweater, a red tie, white pants, gray boots, and a white glove on his right hand. His hair is black, with some areas being silver, while his eyebrows are black. He has what appears to be a strip of silver metal above his right eyebrow. Velvet watches as he walks towards Beacon Tower, but then stops when he notices her gazing at him. Velvet decides to continue on her way at that point and walks by the man, however…

"Excuse me," he calls out to her.

Velvet glances back at him, "Yes?" she says.

"Is your headmaster in his office right now? I'm here to see him," he says as he walks to her.

"For what? To say that you're gonna take over the school?" she replies.

The man looks stunned slightly at her comment, "Now what would make you think that?" he asks.

"I only see this many military ships and troops in two kinds of situations. Either at a military base, which this school is not, or for some kind of occupation. So which is it?" she asks as she turns to face him, hand on her hip.

The man clears his throat, "I apologize if that's the idea you get from seeing my troops, but that is not why they are here. They're here to provide extra security for the Vytal Festival that's coming up later this year. It's the most important event of the year, and I want it to run smoothly, as does everyone else," he says.

"Run smoothly? Sounds like you're afraid something's going to happen," Velvet replies.

"Now I doubt anything will happen, but you know what they say, 'better to be safe than sorry'. Allow me to introduce myself. I am General James Ironwood, General of the Atlas military and headmaster of the huntsman school, Atlas Academy," he says, offering his hand to her for a handshake.

Velvet glances at his hand, but decides to humor him, and shakes it, "Velvet Crowe. If you're still wondering, Professor Ozpin should still be in his office right now," she replies.

"Are you a third year here? You look about that, age-wise," he asks.

"First-year actually," she corrects him.

"Oh, I see…You…were held back then?" he asks.

"No, had some family trouble to deal with back home before I could actually start my training here. That's all there is to it," she corrects him again.

"I see. My apologies. Well then, I'm sure you have things to do, so I'll take my leave. It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Crowe," he says with a bow and leaves.

Velvet grunts after he leaves and goes on her way, _"That guy…He reminds me of…Artorius,"_ Velvet muses while narrowing her eyes.

Meanwhile, Ironwood was having his own thoughts about Velvet, _"Velvet Crowe…Something doesn't seem quite right with her. I'll ask Ozpin about it when I see him,"_ he thinks.

…

Velvet returns to her dorm, but before she enters she finds Ruby on her way back from the forge.

"Hey, Ruby," she greets her.

"Hey, Velvet. Done with your training?" she asks as they walk to the door of their dorm.

"Yeah, want to explain to me why the Atlas military is here?" she asks.

"Oh, yeah, I heard about that. Beats me. Probably nothing to worry about," she says as they enter the dorm. "Hey guys," she says.

"Hello," Weiss and Yang reply.

"Hey, where's Blake?" Ruby asked.

"Went to the library. Again," Yang replies with a wave of her hand.

"She's been doing that quite a bit lately, don't you think?" Velvet says as she sits on her bed.

"Yeah. But enough about that, you guys up for some team bonding time?" Yang suggests with a goofy smile.

"I'm cool with it. How about you, Velvet?" Ruby asks.

"Fine by me, I guess," she replies.

"Weiss, you game?" Yang asks.

"As long as it isn't something ridiculous," Weiss replies.

"Oh, don't worry, it may not be the most exciting idea, but I bet we can fix that," Yang replies.

…

A few minutes later, all members of Team RVWBY are found sitting at one of the tables in the library, with Team JNPR sitting at another table behind them reading some books…Well, Ren and Pyrrha are reading, Nora is dreaming about pancakes, and Jaune is trying to read a comic book until Pyrrha confiscates it from him. On their table is the board game, World of Remnant. However, because only four people could play at a time, Velvet offered to sit out and play the winner, watching them play while she reads a book. They managed to find Blake in the library and got her to join in (more like forced her to play), and so now each member have their cards out and their forces in play.

"Hm, alright. Hm, oh, alright," Ruby utters, strategizing before playing. "Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!" Ruby shouts.

"Bring it on!" Yang replies, pumping her left fist.

"I deploy…the Atlesian Air Fleet!" Ruby yells, raising the card high in the playfully gasps, hand on her chest. "Looks like I get to fly right over your Ursai and attack your wolf directly," Ruby says, the starts making flying plane sounds and explosions while moving her hands like a plane.

Yang playfully gasps again, "You fiend!" she says, pointing at Ruby.

Ruby then has her head leveled with the table," And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time only last one turn," Ruby says, smiling before losing that smile when Yang starts chuckling.

Yang has her chin in her left hand while she pulls out a card with her right hand, "Pretty sneaky, sis, but you just activated my trap card!" Yang says, revealing a card with a Nevermore on it, making Ruby gasp.

"Giant Nevermore!" Yang yells, slamming her fist on the table, shaking the pieces. "If I roll a 7 or higher, fail feathers will slice your fleet in two," Yang explains.

"BUT, if you roll a 6 or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces!" Ruby counters.

"That's just a chance I'm willing to take," Yang replies, keeping her confident smile and then rolls the dice. "Hah!" she exclaims, getting what she needed.

Ruby screams, "My fearless soldiers!" she cries.

"Eh, most of them were probably androids," Yang says.

"Goodbye my friends. You will be avenged," Ruby says to her lost fleet.

"Not until I draw my rewards, which are double this round thanks to the Mistral trade route," Yang points out.

"Bah!" Ruby groans.

"Oh, and what's this? The Smugglers of Winpath. Okay, looks like I'm taking two cards from your hand," Yang says.

"Have you no heart! Nooooo," Ruby cries, waterfall tears flowing down from her eyes as she lays her head down on the table in defeat.

Velvet pats her head, "I'm sure you'll get her in the next one…Maybe," she says, which only makes Ruby cry a little harder.

"Well Weiss, it's your turn," Yang says, turning to Weiss.

"I have…absolutely no idea what's going on," she confesses, still confused at the game.

Yang slides over, wrapping her left arm around Weiss, shoulders, "Look, it's easy. You're playing as Vacuo, which means all Vacuo based cards come with a bonus," Yang explains.

"That sounds dumb," Weiss replies.

Yang starts sorting through Weiss' cards, "See, you've got Sandstorm, Desert Scavenge, Oh, Oh! Resourceful Raider! See, now you can take Ruby's discard air fleet," Yang begins, making Ruby cry even more. "And put it in YOUR hand," Yang says.

"Okay," Weiss says, starting to understand.

"And since Vacuo warriors have an endurance boost against natural hazards, you can use Sandstorm to disable my ground forces and simultaneously infiltrate my kingdom. Just know, that I will not forget this declaration of war," Yang warns her before sliding back.

"And that means?" Weiss asks.

"You're just three moves away from conquering Remnant," Ruby says before crying a waterfall again.

Hearing this, Weiss starts laughing evilly and stands up while thunder and lightning can be heard, "Yes! Fear the almighty power of my forces. Cower as they pillage your homes and weep as they take your children from your very arms-," Weiss says, sounding villainous for a moment.

"Trap card," Yang deadpans, showing Weiss a card.

"Huh?" Weiss goes jawstruck.

Yang then moves pieces around, taking away Weiss' game pieces, "Your armies have been destroyed," Yang calmly says as she defeats Weiss.

Weiss immediately starts crying like Ruby, "I hate this game of emotions we play!" she wales as she sits down.

Ruby then jumps on her lap and wraps her arms around her, "Stay strong Weiss, we'll make it through this together!" she cries.

"Shut up! Don't touch me!" Weiss replies, but wraps her arms around Ruby in a hug anyway as they both continue to cry in defeat.

"You're enjoying this a little too much, aren't you?" Velvet asks Yang dryly.

Yang rests her hands behind her head, "Maybe," she replies.

Velvet looks at Blake, "Alright Blake, you're up," she says.

Blake regains focus on the fight, "Huh, what? Sorry, what am I doing?" she asks.

"You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the kingdoms of Remnant," Yang explains as Weiss and Ruby stop crying, having smiles on their faces again.

"Right…" Blake says, looks at her cards.

"Hey, can I play?" Jaune asks as he walks to their table.

Yang and Weiss suddenly go wide-eyed at this and Weiss quickly stands up, "Nope, this is for Team RVWBY members only. Now go back to your comic books," she says as she pushes him away, making Ruby and Velvet raise an eyebrow in confusion. Weiss then gets back in her seat. "Now then, where were we?" she asks.

"Actually, I think I have to-," she begins until…

"Sup, losers," they hear behind them and look back to see Sun and another boy with him.

This young man has tan skin, dark blue eyes and messy light blue hair that is shaved on the sides and in the back. He is wearing a white dress shirt and black tie under a red jacket with a wide, upturned, black collar and a pair of gray jeans with black padding strapped to the sides, with the back of his jacket showing a silver reticle. He is also wearing black shoes fastened with straps instead of laces. He also has on black fingerless gloves and a pair of yellow-tinted goggles worn on his head.

"Hey Sun," Ruby greets him.

"Ruby, Yang, Blake, Velvet…Ice Queen," Sun says, the last one at Weiss.

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Weiss says, annoyed.

"I never got a chance to formally introduce you to my old friend," Sun motions to Neptune.

"Uh, aren't libraries for reading?" Neptune asks, talking about their game being held in the library.

"THANK YOU!" Ren and Velvet yell, hands in the air.

"Pancakes!" Nora shouts, suddenly waking up from her dream and lifting her head.

"Shut up. Don't be a nerd," Sun criticizes Neptune.

"Geh-geh-geh-geh! Intellectual, okay? Thank you," Neptune corrects him. "I'm Neptune," he introduces himself.

"And you're from where, exactly?" Velvet asks, arms crossed.

"Haven," he replies and struts over to Velvet, "And I don't believe I caught your name…Beautiful," he says coolly.

However, his answer is Velvet's gauntlet blade coming out and just an inch from his throat.

"Say that again, and it'll be the last word you ever speak," she warns him, eyes narrowed.

Neptune laughs nervously, pulling his collar, "Heh-heh-heh, my apologies," he says and regains his composure as he then tries again with Weiss. "Well I believe we haven't properly met, Snow Angel," he says suavely.

 _"Really, first you hit on my teammate, right in front of me, and when that fails, you come right on to me,"_ Weiss thinks as she stares at him dryly. "I'm Weiss, but don't press your luck," she replies as she stands up. "Well, I have to go. Yang, you owe me a study session. Let's go," she says as she grabs Yang and pulls her away.

"Aw, come on!" Yang cries as she's pulled away.

Blake sighs, "Well I think I'm done too. I'll see you guys later," Blake says as she leaves too.

Everyone watches them leave.

"Women," Nora says, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, I'll see you guys later. Come on, Neptune. Better luck next time," he says and leaves.

"See you around," Neptune says, waving at them as he follows Sun.

The members of Team JNPR follow a minute later.

Ruby was about to get up until she gets a message on her scroll. She pulls it out to see that it's a message from Yang. The message says, 'I feel bad about leaving and giving Velvet a chance to play. Play a one-on-one game with her before you leave. She's waited long enough'. Ruby thinks about it and decides it was a good idea.

"Come on Velvet. You were owed a game. How about you and me play on-on-one before we head back? We still got some time," she offers.

Velvet shrugs her shoulders and sits down across from Ruby as they reset all the pieces on the board and shuffle the cards. Meanwhile, behind one of the book shelves behind Velvet, Yang and Weiss glance through the openings in the bookshelves with the books.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Yang asks.

"Of course, what we first have to do is get them alone more often and let them bond more. Once they do little more of that, we can then move on to getting some real progress. Just don't forget about your part of the deal," Weiss reminds her.

"Yeah, yeah. I won't. Don't worry," Yang replies.

However, a loud cry occurs and they look back to see Ruby hanging her head on the table, crying like before, while Velvet wipes her hands in victory. Ruby's forces are decimated, while hers are only halfway gone.

"Looks like I win," Velvet says.

"My soldiers. They're all gone again," she cries dramatically.

Yang turns to Weiss, "What the Hell? This game was supposed to last longer than that! How are they supposed to bond if they go through it that quickly?! She quietly gasps.

"I don't know. As our leader, I thought she would've lasted longer than that. She did fine in our last game," Weis retorts.

"Jeez, I'm almost glad I didn't play Velvet then," Yang mutters before she looks back to find Ruby cleaning up the board game…and no Velvet in sight. "Where did Velvet go?" she wonders.

"Hmm, good question," they hear behind them and quickly turn around to find Velvet staring at them with an unamused glare, arms crossed.

"Heh-heh-heh, oh look at the time," Yang says and grabs Weiss before she races out of the library.

"What is with those two lately?" she wonders.

…

Later that night, Blake sits on her bed, knees huddles up to her face, thinking about the White Fang and Roman Torchwick. A few minutes later, Yang and Weiss show up, a little out of breath. Blake then gets up to leave, but as soon as she's about to open the door, it opens up to reveal Velvet and Ruby.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere. We need to talk," Velvet says.

"She's right," Weiss says, getting their attention. "Lately, you've been quiet, antisocial, and moody," Weiss notes.

"Um, have you met Blake?" Yang jokes as Ruby and Velvet stand beside her.

"Which I get is kind of your 'thing.' But, you've been doing it more than usual, which quite frankly, is unacceptable. You made a promise to me, to ALL of us, that you would let us know if something was wrong…So Blake Belladonna, WHAT IS WRONG?!" Weiss ask, suddenly balancing herself on a chair, making Ruby and Yang hunch over with their jaws dropped at the scene and surprising Blake, while Velvet just watches with an eyebrow raised.

Weiss rethinks her position for a moment before quickly putting the chair back at a desk and then rejoining her teammates.

"…I just…I don't understand how everyone can be so calm," Blake confesses.

"You're still thinking about Torchwick?" Ruby knowingly asks while Yang rests an arm on Ruby's bed.

"Torchwick, the White Fang, all of it. Something big is happening and no one is doing anything about it," Blake says.

"Ozpin told us not to worry. Between the police and the huntsmen, I'm sure they can handle it," Yang tries to reassure her.

"Well, I'm not! They don't know the White Fang like I do," Blake replies.

Ruby, Weiss, Velvet, and Yang look at each other for a moment before Weiss speaks.

"Okay, between blowing up nightclubs, stopping thieves, surviving in the wild during travelling, and fighting for freedom, I'm SURE the four of you think you're all ready to go out and apprehend these ner-do-wells," Weiss says.

"Uh, who?" Ruby asks, confused on Weiss' last words.

"But let me once again be the voice of reason. We're STUDENTS. We're not ready to handle this sort of situation," Weiss points out.

"Speak for yourself," Velvet says, crossing her arms.

"We're NOT ready!" Weiss exclaims.

"And we may never BE ready! Our enemies aren't just gonna sit around and wait for graduation day. They're out there, SOMEWHERE planning their next move, and none of us know what it is, but it's coming. Whether we're ready…or not," Blake voices her concerns.

Ruby calms them down, "Okay…All in favor of becoming the youngest huntresses to single-handedly bring down a corrupt conspiring against the kingdom of Vale…Say 'aye," Ruby declares.

Yang pumps her left fist, "Yes! I love it when you're feisty," she says, pointing at Blake.

"Well, I guess it could be fun," Weiss adds.

"I'm game," Velvet says, hand on her hip.

"None of you said 'aye," Ruby pouts.

"Alright then. We're in this together," Blake says.

"Okay then, let's hatch a plan," Ruby announces.

"Yeah!" Yang says, pointing her hands in gun signs at her.

Ruby then gasps, "I left my board game in the library," she says as realization sets in.

"We're doomed," Weiss says, shaking her head in her hand.

"There's our fearless leader," Velvet sarcastically adds, rolling her eyes. "I'll go get it," she says and walks out of the room.

However, as she walks down the hallway, she walks by three students wearing Haven Academy uniforms. Two girls, one with green hair and red eyes, the other with black hair and eyes that glow like fire. The third is a boy with gray hair who winks at her, making her groan. However, when she eyes the girl with the fire-like eyes, she gets a sense of dread coming from her.

"Hi, there, we're visiting from Haven for the festival. You wouldn't happen to know where the dorms for exchange students are located, would you?" she asks.

Velvet narrows her eyes at them, but decides to answer, "They're east of here. You're in the wrong area," she says.

"Thank you. I'm Cinder by the way. Maybe we'll see you around," she says and they leave.

As she watches them leave, Velvet can't help but feel on edge when looking at Cinder for reasons unknown.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Hope it went well for you guys. Will Yang's matchmaking plan succeed before Velvet figures it out? More of that in the future. Until next time, please Read and Review.**


	20. Chapter 20: Matchmaking - Part 2

**Here we are at chapter 20. A little filler chapter here for now. Let's see how Yang's 'master' matchmaking plan will work out this time. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 20. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Matchmaking – Part 2**

Velvet had left the room to retrieve Ruby's board game that she left in the library. However…

"Wait, I shouldn't have Velvet get my game. That's my responsibility. I'll be right back," Ruby says and leaves to catch up to her.

Meanwhile, Weiss and Yang look at Blake.

"So, no keeping to yourself from now on?" Weiss asks, arms crossed.

"No, we're in this together now. I'm sorry about worrying you guys," Blake apologizes.

"Good. However, that means you also have to put in more effort with my matchmaking plan. Weiss and I can't do this alone, and Velvet may be on to us. It's hard doing this without her noticing," Yang says.

Blake sighs, "Yes, I'll help out more often, even though I still think it's ridiculous," Blake says.

"Oh come on. The two of them would look great together, and I can just tell that Ruby likes her. As her older sister, it's my duty to see those two get together," Yang decrees.

Weiss rolls her eyes, "Oh please, do any of us look like Cupid here? We have more important things to deal with, now more than ever," she says.

"There's always time for love," Yang says dramatically, hand on her chest.

"Don't be so dramatic," Blake says dryly.

"Welp, with that out of the way. What should be our next plan for getting Ruby and Velvet together?" she asks.

Weiss sighs, "Well, we need to be more careful now, seeing as Velvet is on to us," she notes.

"Well she may not think that I'm involved. We need to set something up with all of us around, and make sure it comes out just right to set the mood for them," Blake thinks, hand on her chin.

"Wait, Velvet likes to train every day, right?" Weiss asks.

"Yeah, so what?" Yang asks, to which Weiss just smiles.

…

The next day during the weekend, Velvet was getting her gear on in the locker room, preparing for another training session. She is checking her gauntlet blade when the rest of the team walks in.

"Hey Velvet," Ruby says as she walks up to her, with the others behind her.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Velvet asks.

"Well, Weiss had the idea of doing some team sparring sessions today. It's been a while since we last did this, and I thought it would be a good idea," Ruby says.

Velvet glances at Weiss, "Is that right?" she asks, a little suspicious.

However, Weiss maintains a straight face, "Of course. Training alone will only get you so far, especially when all you have to work with are training dummies. And let's not forget that the Vytal Festival will be coming soon. We need to prepare for the tournament," she explains.

Velvet then looks at Blake, "You good with this?" she asks.

"I've been avoiding you guys lately, and I need to make up for that. This is a good way to start," she says, rubbing her left arm.

Velvet then looks at Yang, "And knowing you, you just want to avoid studying in exchange for a chance to fight someone?" she deadpans.

Yang scratches her head, "That easy to figure out, huh?" she says.

Velvet shrugs her shoulders, "Whatever. Let's get going then," she says and leaves.

Smiling, the others follow her and they all hit the training grounds. Deciding to start off with one-on-one sparring matches for now, they began with Ruby going up against Velvet, while on the other side of the training area, is Yang sparring with Weiss. Meanwhile, Blake sits on the sidelines, watching over each fight like Glynda does in her combat classes. The four teammates ready their weapons and takes their positions. Blake glances at Weiss and Yang, who give her subtle nods in confirmation.

"Everyone, ready?" Blake calls out, each of them nodding to her. Blake raises her right arm, "And…Begin!" she shouts, swinging down her arm.

The four females rush at their opponents, with Ruby swinging her scythe at Velvet who slides under her strike, sweeping Ruby out from under her feet. Meanwhile, Weiss conjures up some glyphs to race around Yang, who fires off shot after shot from her shotgun gauntlets. Ruby rolls back onto her feet and fires a few shots at Velvet. Velvet avoids two shots and then deflects the second two with her gauntlet blade before running at Ruby again, countering with her own shots from her gauntlet's gun. Ruby spins her scythe around to deflect the rounds and then twirls it around her before swinging it down on Velvet. Velvet blocks it with her arm blade and then activates her left foot blade, swinging it upwards to kick her scythe to the side, using the momentum to swing around to slash at Ruby's side with both blades. Ruby manages to block both strikes with her scythe, but then Velvet manages to get a back kick in with her right foot, making her slide across the floor. She grits her teeth a little and looks up to see Velvet with a straight face and waving her hand in a taunting motion to come at her, which she obliges.

Meanwhile, Weiss jumps into the air, landing on a glyph aimed downwards diagonally at Yang. She pushes off of it, thrusting her rapier at her. However, Yang jumps up above her to evade the strike before cocking her right fist back and then falls down on Weiss. Weiss has barely enough time to jumps back to safety before Yang smashes her fist into the ground, creating a shockwave. Yang gets up and smirks at Weiss, who gives her an aggravated look.

 _"Sorry Weiss, have to make it look convincing while we wait for the right moment to make our move,"_ Yang thinks before she runs at Weiss.

When she gets close, Yang starts throwing several punches at Weiss, who backflips away from each strike before she conjures up a glyph in front of Yang to block a right cross from her. Weiss then makes the glyph turn black, and causes Yang to get pushed back from the glyph, sliding across the floor. Switching to her ice Dust chamber, Weiss twirls around before stabbing her sword into the ground, sending a column of ice spikes at Yang. However, Yang just reels back her right fist and when it gets close, she smashes through the ice, stopping it cold (no pun intended). Aiming her gauntlets behind her, she fires, shooting her over to Weiss. Weiss jumps back when Yang lands in front of her, and counters with a few swings of her sword. Yang dodges one swing, blocks the next two, but then grabs the sword during the fourth swing. Pulling it around her, she makes Weiss lose her balance before she delivers a left hook to her face, sending her tumbling on the ground. Yang lets Weiss get up, sporting a large grin on her face while Weiss just growls at her.

Blake looks on her scroll, monitoring their aura levels. Yang's is still pretty high, while Weiss has dropped about a quarter. Meanwhile, Blake notices that Ruby's aura has gone down to around half while Velvet's has only dropped a little bit. She looks over to the other fight.

Ruby aims her scythe behind her and pulls the trigger, sending her flying towards Velvet. When she gets close, she starts twirling in the air as she nears Velvet. Velvet, however, jumps and spins right under one of Ruby's swings, the two passing each other. Both slide on their feet before turning to face the other. Velvet fires off some shots, which Ruby blocks by twirling her scythe around. However, Velvet keeps up the barrage while running towards Ruby. When she gets close, she activates both foot blades and she and Ruby enter a dance of steel, their blades flying around each other. Ruby remains stationary on her feet, but Velvet manages to move her body around each of Ruby's attacks, getting one opening to land a strike on Ruby's left knee, making her buckle. Ruby's stance breaks, and Velvet thrusts her arm blade at her skull. Ruby manages to duck out of the way just in time, but gets kneed in the face because of it, sending her to the ground. Velvet stands over her, but Ruby notices her scythe's blade behind Velvet. She fires her weapon, forcing Velvet to jump over the surprise attack while also propelling Ruby away to safety.

Ruby gets up, shaking her head a little bit and stares at Velvet.

 _"I didn't think she would know my moves that well by now. This is gonna be a lot harder than I thought,"_ she thinks.

Blake looks back to see that Ruby's aura has dropped further. Concerned that Ruby might get eliminated before they can make their move, she glances at Weiss and Yang.

"Weiss, stay cool. Don't let Yang aggravate you. You'll lose focus and then all you'll see is red," she gives them the signal.

Weiss and Yang glance back at her and nod subtly.

Weiss breathes a calm breath, "Thanks Blake. Now then Yang, time for me to wipe that smile off your face," she taunts her while setting her sword up with more ice Dust.

Yang chuckles, "What, you're gonna put me on ice? Don't be so 'We-ice' cold, Ice Queen," she jokes.

Weiss groans, "Don't call me that, and enough with your terrible puns!" she shouts before shooting over to Yang, sword thrusted forward.

Yang dodges left, and then steps back a few times as Weiss starts thrusting her sword at her face. Yang changes direction again and continues moving back, laughing a little bit and glancing back to see they're moving closer to Ruby and Velvet, with the former firing off several shots while the later deflects each one with her blades. Once they get close enough without drawing the others' attention, Yang can see that Ruby is about to charge at Velvet again, so she gives Weiss the signal by winking at her. Weiss rolls her eyes.

"Aw come on, Weiss. Don't get so flustered over little ol' me. Afraid I'll melt that ice castle of yours, Ice Queen?" she taunts her.

Weis knew it was part of the plan, but it still pissed her off.

"I told you to stop calling me that," she grits through her teeth.

Weiss then jumps up into the air above Yang before dropping down with her sword aimed at Yang's smirking face. Yang jumps out of the way at the right moment, and Weiss ends up stabbing the floor instead, creating an ice floor that spreads out wide. At that moment, Ruby uses her semblance to charge over at Velvet. However, she accidently steps on the ice when it gets close, causing her to lose her footing. She screams as she flies towards Velvet, who goes wide-eyed, but gets ready to catch her. Ruby ends up tackling Velvet to the ground, causing them to roll around to a stop.

"Ow, my head. I'm sorry Velvet, I didn't-," Ruby begins, but then she gasps at noticing their position.

Specifically, how Velvet is on top of Ruby, practically straddling her, and their faces are only an inch away from one another. Velvet remains frozen, eyes wide, and a slight blush on her face. However, Ruby turns as red as her cloak. Off to the side, Yang covers her mouth, trying not to snicker, Weiss is blushing a little bit as she looks away, and Blake looks on with interest. They remain like this for a moment longer before Velvet shakes her head and gets off Ruby, who slowly sits up while looking straight at the ground.

"Are…are you alright, Ruby?" Velvet asks, looking away slightly.

"U-um, yeah. I-I'm fine…I think we should call it a day for now," Ruby says, not looking at Velvet while still blushing.

"Um…yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Velvet replies. Ruby grabs her weapon and uses her semblance to race out of the training room. Velvet slowly stands up, thinking about their previous position, until she hears snickering behind her. "Yang…Weiss…Care to explain what the Hell was THAT about?" she asks, a dark aura appearing around her as she slowly turns to face them.

Weiss and Yang freeze in place, unable to think of a concrete answer. Luckily for them, Blake comes in to save their butts.

"It was Yang's fault, though some of the blame is on Weiss as well," she says.

"Hey!" Weiss and Yang yell together.

"Yang was taunting Weiss, and making her lose her focus, and Weiss ended up trying to freeze her mouth shut. They didn't realize that they were moving closer to your side of the training area, and Weiss ended up freezing the floor so much that it spread to your side as well," Blake says with a straight face.

Velvet raises an eyebrow at them, "Hmm. Fine, I need to go check on Ruby. However…" she trails off and activates her demon claw.

Yang gets nervous and starts backing up a bit, "H-hey Velvet, let's just calm down for a second. L-look, it was just an accident, o-okay," she says, laughing nervously.

"That may have been an accident, but THIS isn't," Velvet says as she approaches Yang, and then swings her demon claw…

…

Back in the team's dorm room, Ruby sat on her bunk, holding her knees up to her face, still blushing a little bit. All her thoughts were on the events back in the training room.

 _"I know we've hugged each other before…but to be that close, face-to-face, in that position…I just…couldn't stop staring into her eyes…Her…pretty eyes. But it's not like I 'like' like her…right? I mean, she's a teammate, and a good friend, who is strong…kind…beautiful…,"_ Ruby trails off as her blush returns and she pulls her hood on to hide her face.

A few minutes later, the door opens and in walks in Velvet. She spots Ruby on her bunk and slowly approaches her.

"Ruby…are you alright?" she asks. When Ruby doesn't answer, Velvet pulls herself onto the bunk to sit next to Ruby. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable back there," she says without looking at her.

Ruby slowly shakes her head, "It wasn't your fault. It just…surprised me a bit. But, I'll be fine," she replies, keeping the hood on.

"If it makes you feel better, I already took care of Yang for putting us in that…position," Velvet chooses her words carefully.

…

Speaking of said blonde, Blake and Weiss look at Yang, who's on the floor, eyes looking like swirls, along with a huge bump on her head.

"Daddy, could you tell me a bedtime story?" she mutters, obviously delirious, while Weiss and Blake just roll their eyes.

…

Hearing this makes Ruby laugh a little bit, which makes Velvet feel a little better.

"Look, if you need some time alone to clear your head about this, I'll give you some space," Velvet offers.

However, Ruby tugs on Velvet's cloak with her right hand, "Actually, could you just stay a little while? I just…need to rest for a while, but I'd rather not be alone right now," she says.

Velvet nods, "Rest for as long as you need. I'll be right here," she says.

Ruby moves to lay down on her bunk, though she has her back turned to Velvet. However, Velvet places her hand on Ruby's head, lightly rubbing it to try and make her feel better. At first, Ruby makes no reaction to it, but eventually she rolls around to face Velvet, snuggling into her hand, starting to show a smile towards her. Velvet smiles back and they remain like this for a while.

…

Back at the training area, the rest of the team are in the locker room, after finally getting Yang to wake up and regain her senses.

"Ow, first she absorbs the rest of my aura, then she knocks me out. What the Hell?" Yang says, rubbing her head a little bit.

"Well, it was your fault for putting them in that situation," Blake notes.

"But it was YOUR idea!" Yang retorts.

"Yes, but I wasn't planning on them ending up like that. It was supposed to be just Velvet catching Ruby in her arms like a knight and a princess in one of the romance novels I read. How was I supposed to know it would end up like that?" Blake says.

Weiss groans, "Ugh, hopefully this doesn't make Velvet even more suspicious of us. And hopefully Ruby won't be mad at us for doing that. It's bad enough I got roped into this insane plane, I don't need our teammates hating me like at the beginning of the year," she says.

"Anyway, are you feeling any better now, Yang?" Blake asks.

Yang stands up, "Yeah, I'll be fine. I've had worse. However, now I'll have to get some payback. And I know just the way to do it, that will not only act as a form of payback, but also help with my matchmaking plan as well," she says, a confident smirk showing.

"I'm pretty sure I don't want to know. Besides, it's been Blake and I that have actually been making the plans here. No offense Yang, but you're not exactly the best strategist on this team," Weiss says.

"Hey, I can make some good plans. I'll prove it to you with this one," Yang counters.

…

A few days later, Ruby and Velvet are returning from a class that they have together in the afternoon. Down the hall, and around the corner, Yang waits for them to get closer. Around the corner from where Ruby and Velvet are walking from, is a thin tripwire along the floor. The wire goes to the wall, runs along it to the corner, and then goes up to the ceiling, where an intricate pendulum with a pie on the end is waiting for Yang's intended target.

 _"The second they hit that tripwire, the pendulum will swing down and around the corner and slam the pie into Velvet's face. Ruby will then get worried about her, and try to help, making another moment for the two of them to grow closer while simultaneously granting me my payback. This will be perfect!"_ Yang thinks as she waits for the pair to spring the trap.

She listens and hears footsteps coming from down the hall, most likely Ruby and Velvet. A few more steps later, and she hears the tripwire get sprung. She looks up to see the pendulum swing down and around the corner, slamming into someone's face.

"Ah, oh no!" she hears Ruby yell, and she pumps her fist in victory. "Professor Goodwitch, are you alright?!"

Yang's eyes go wide at hearing that…UH OH…Against her better judgment, she glances around the corner to see that the pie hit Professor Goodwitch instead of Ruby or Velvet, and she looked absolutely livid.

Yang quickly takes off down the hall, but then finds herself stuck in mid-air. She looks back to see Glynda with her riding crop out.

"Miss Xiao Long…I believe you and I need to have a little talk," she says, a subtle tinge of venom in her voice.

Yang looks on in horror, _"I'm dead…"_

* * *

 **And that's chapter 20. Yang gave Ruby and Velvet a nudge in the right direction, but didn't think about how much that would cost her in the long run. Will Ruby and Velvet grow closer? Will Yang survive Glynda's wrath? Until next time, please Read and Review.**


	21. Chapter 21: The Investigation

**100 favorites! Thank you to all of those who have been reading my story. Here we are at chapter 21. Time to see if Yang is still alive, LOL. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 21. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: The investigation**

A few days passed after the incident in the training room and Yang's little prank. Luckily, Yang is still alive. Unluckily, she has to write a 10,000 word essay on responsibility and acting like an adult. She would've got much worse if Ozpin didn't convince Glynda to give her some leeway. Velvet asked her why she tried to hit Ruby or herself with a pie, and Yang said she wanted to prank them, but did not mention the other reason behind her actions. Once more Velvet was getting a little suspicious of her actions, but knew it would have to wait since they have more important things to take care of, like start their investigation into Roman Torchwick and the White Fang. The team decided that for this investigation, they would need a change of outfits. There was just one little issue: Velvet didn't really have anything other than her usual clothes and some pajamas. Luckily, Weiss and Yang were able to help her with that.

…

Velvet, Yang, and Weiss are at one of the clothing stores in Vale, looking for a new outfit for Velvet for the investigation. However, there's another problem…They all have different tastes.

"How about this one?" Weiss presents her with an outfit that seems practical, but the different shades of blue and white were not to Velvet's liking.

"No," Velvet deadpans.

"Oh, oh! What about this one?" Yang comes up with another outfit that, while the colors were okay, the fact that it seemed a little too 'Yang-y' was an issue.

"Not happening," Velvet shakes her head.

"Come on Velvet, we have to find something for you. The investigation is tomorrow after our classes are done and we have to be ready for it," Yang whines.

"Not to mention the fact that you still haven't finished that essay for Professor Goodwitch yet and need time to work on that," Weiss reminds her, making Yang groan.

Velvet sighs, "Is this really necessary?" she asks.

"YES!" the two girls yell together.

Velvet groans, holding her forehead, "Fine. At least let me look for something instead of waiting for you two to find something. No offense, but your tastes in clothes are way different compared to mine," she says and walks off.

Velvet looks around, checking out all the different outfits and designs, but can't really find anything that would suit her. Being a wanted criminal and moving from place to place in destroyed clothes kind of reduced her sense of fashion…to the point where she really had none. However, her saving grace comes in the form of a certain brown-haired fashionista.

"Hey, you're Velvet Crowe right?" she hears behind her and turns around to see Team CFVY's leader, Coco Adel.

Coco Adel is a teenage girl with fair skin, short dark-brown hair, and dark-brown eyes. She has wavy locks on one side of her face, dyed with a gradient that starts in dark brown, and transitions to caramel. Her clothing consists of a long, cocoa-colored shirt with a dark drown waist cincher. She is wearing long, dark-brown trousers with ribbons on the left side and a brown belt with bullets. Above it, she is wearing another cocoa-colored belt of bullets with a gold crosshairs buckle. What appears to be a drape of black skirt is hanging on her right side. She is also wearing a pair of dark-brown, high-heeled leather boots with buckles. Her accessories include a bracelet with black roses as decorations, along with black gloves and necklaces, a beret of a darker brown, a pair of black, wire-rimmed aviator glasses. She is seen holding a black shoulder bag with gold studs, being held up by a bandoleer strap.

"And you are?" Velvet asks, hand on her hip.

"Name's Coco Adel, leader of Team CFVY. You helped out my teammate, Velvet Scarlatina. Remember, the Faunus girl with the rabbit ears," she says.

Velvet hums in realization, "Oh, so you're her team leader. It wasn't that big of a deal. What are you doing here anyways?" she asks.

"Well, my team and I have a mission coming up and we may be away for a while, so I thought I'd check out the latest designs here while I have the chance. You looking for something here as well?" she asks.

"Yeah, my team and I have some…business to take care of tomorrow, and they thought it would be a good idea to change outfits for it. Unfortunately, I don't really have anything else, and Weiss and Yang haven't really been helping with finding a secondary outfit for me," she explains.

At hearing this, Coco holds her chin in her right hand as she walks around Velvet, inspecting her from top to bottom, humming to herself, and creeping Velvet out a little bit. Finally she stops in front of her.

"I think I know something that may work for you. Quick question, would this little business of yours involve any fighting?" she asks.

Velvet shrugs her shoulders, "Maybe, we are huntresses-in-training after all," she replies.

"Well, then that narrows it down. Another question, my team was originally supposed to prepare the school dance coming up soon, but with this mission, we may have to give the job to someone else. Do you have a dress for the dance?" she asks.

"No. Not really planning on going. Dances aren't really my thing," Velvet says.

"Aw, come on. You only get one dance like this in your life. Look, I'm sure you've been through a lot before you came here, and as future huntresses, we're gonna have to go through a lot of tough times. But that's why it's important to enjoy events such as these. Besides, isn't there anyone you'd want to go to the dance with? Be with that special someone for one awesome night?" she asks, smirking.

At hearing this, Velvet was about to retort against it, but then stopped when the sudden image of seeing Ruby in a beautiful red dress made hear lose her words, but gain a slight tinge of red on her cheeks.

 _"Why did that image come up? And why the Hell did I like it?...Maybe Ruby would be a little upset if I didn't come…Maybe just for her, just this once,"_ she thinks and then sighs as her blush disappears. "Fine, what do you have in mind?" she asks, wanting to get this over with.

Coco smiles, "Don't worry. If there are two things I'm good at, it's killing Grimm, and knowing my way around a clothing store," she says.

…

The next day, the team wait in Professor Port's class while he tells another one of his bogus stories, with Weiss looking at the electric clock in front of her, waiting for class to end.

Just then, Jaune moves next to her, "So, Weiss, you know uh, I was thinking after this, maybe we could go grab a bite to eat…And uh, you know well I-I've got two tickets to that new Spruce Willis movie if you want to make the trip to Vale. I hear it's awesome…Annnnddd then maybe after that, we could study together. I mean you're smart and I'm a, you know," Jaune says, trying to ask her out.

Then, the clock in front of Weiss hits 4:00 and the bell for the end of class rings. Weiss and everyone else begin to collect their books and materials.

"-And then I…Oh, uh, timed that one wrong, I guess. Well, the stunning conclusion to the story will have to wait…until next time," Port says, the bell interrupting his story telling.

"Weiss, did you hear me?" Jaune asks as Weiss gets up and leaves.

"No, no, no, yes," She answers to each of his questions, leaving the room.

Jaune just sighs and plants his head on the desk in defeat as the rest of Team RVWBY walk by him.

"One day," Yang says, patting him on the head as she passes by, trying to cheer him up.

"Yeah, good luck with that," Velvet says as she passes by, making Jaune groan.

…

Back in their room, the members of Team RVWBY are getting their new gear on, with Ruby tightening the straps on her boots, Yang cocking one of her gauntlets, Weiss checking her rapier, and Blake wrapping her ribbons around her arms.

"I thought that class would never end," Blake says as she's tightening her black ribbons on her arms and passing by Ruby and Weiss on their beds.

"Alright guys, today's the day. The investigation begins!" Ruby exclaims, jumping from her top bunk and landing in her feet, making Weiss jump back on her bed.

"I'm glad to see we're taking this SO seriously," Weiss deadpans.

"Hey, we've got a plan. That's…moderately serious," Yang reassures her.

"Yeah, that's reassuring," they hear behind Blake and all look back to see her coming out of the restroom.

Velvet is wearing a sleeveless white and black dress with a red skirt, and a red corset over it. She has on a brown belt with a square gold belt buckle in the center. Over the dress is a sleeveless red jacket with a long tail and gold edging. One her arms are detached sleeves in red and white edging, along with a black glove on her right hand. She is wearing a pair of knee-high black boots with two straps on each and gold buckles. Under the boots are thigh-length fishnet stockings. Hidden in her right detached sleeve is her gauntlet while her bandages are covered by the sleeve on her left arm (basically, her pirate costume from the game, without the hat and parrot). The rest of the team gawk in awe at her new outfit, but Yang notices how Ruby stares at her, with a heavy blush. She then gets an idea and smirks.

"Like what you see, Ruby?" Yang teases her.

Ruby shakes her head to get rid of her blush, "YANG!" she whines.

Velvet blushes slightly, but it quickly disappears, "Wasn't exactly my idea. Coco Adel found this for me. At least I got more help from her than from you two," she says, glaring at Weiss and Yang who laugh nervously. Velvet has her hand on her hip, "Anyway, do we all remember what we need to do?" she asks.

"Right, everyone remember their roles?" Ruby asks.

"You, Velvet, and I will head to the CCT to check the Schnee records for any other dust robberies or inconsistencies. Seeing as I'm in the family, it shouldn't be a problem," Weiss says, hand on her chest and confidence reeking from her posture.

Blake places her hands behind her back, "The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members. If I can get in, I can hopefully find out what their planning," she says.

Yang crosses her arms, "I have an old friend on the shady side of town that typically knows EVERYTHING going on in Vale. Getting information out of him shouldn't be TOO hard," Yang says.

"Right. We'll meet up tonight near Yang to go over what we found. Let's do this!" Ruby says as she pumps her right fist.

"Yeah!" an unknown voice is heard.

Everyone look over at the window to see Sun Wukong hanging upside down by his tail, outside the window, smiling. Everyone takes a step back.

"Sun?!" Blake yells, shocked at his appearance.

"How did you get up there?" Yang asks.

"Oh, it's easy. I do it all the time," he answers.

"You do WHAT?!" Weiss shrieks.

"I climb trees all the time," Sun quickly answers, ignoring her scowl at him before he flips into the room and onto his feet. "So, are we finally getting back at that Torchwick guy?" he asks.

"WE are going to investigate the situation, as a TEAM," Blake emphasizes their positions.

"No boys allowed," Velvet adds.

"Sorry, Sun. We don't want to get friends involved if we don't have to," Ruby points out.

"Pfft, that's dumb. You should always get friends involved. That's why I brought Neptune," Sun says, pointing his thumb behind him.

Team RVWBY look out the side of the window to see Neptune standing on the ledge outside their room.

"'Sup," he greets them.

"How did you even get up here?" Ruby asks.

"I have my ways," Neptune replies, before he sees how high up they are. "Seriously though, can I come in? We're, like, really high up right now," he fearfully pleads.

After getting Neptune into the room, though he remains frozen in place, the group decided to rethink their strategy.

"Seeing as how we can't get rid of two of the three stooges here, guess we have no choice but to let them tag along. But having too many numbers together won't help the smaller groups, so we'll have to even this out a bit," Velvet deduces.

"Alright, Velvet, Weiss, and I will go our way. Sun, you can go with Blake. And Neptune, you can go with Yang since she doesn't have a partner," Ruby says as she pushes Neptune next to Yang.

Neptune, though, quickly unfreezes himself, "Wait. Why don't you go with Yang, Ruby? Sun told me you were sisters, right? I think it would be better if you two stick together," he says.

"But then, what about you?" she asks.

"I can go with Weiss and Velvet. I know their good, but having a cool guy like me around will definitely help. Right ladies?" he says as he goes into flirt mode and winks at them.

However... "Can I PLEASE throw him out the window?" Velvet asks, glaring at Neptune, while Weiss just rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.

"I…think it would be better for you if you just went with Yang. It's for your own good," Ruby retorts, sweating a little bit.

"Come on, Romeo, before you end up dead like in the story," Yang says as she grabs Neptune by the back of his shirt and drags him away.

"Aw come on!" Neptune yells as he's pulled out of the room.

…

A little later, Velvet, Ruby, and Weiss are out walking toward the CCT.

"Wow! I forget how big the transmit tower looks up close!" Ruby shouts with excitement as they near the tower.

"You should see the one in Atlas," Weiss says.

"Wasn't that where they built the first one?" Velvet asks.

"Correct. Atlas developed the Cross Continental Transmit System to allow the four kingdoms to communicate with one another. It was their gift to the world after the Great War," Weiss goes into student mode.

"Oooh, my name's Weiss. I know facts. I'm rich," Ruby jokes around and she starts snickering into her hands while Velvet chuckles.

Weiss scowls at her, "Don't be a pest. Besides, the only reason we're hear is because YOU like the tower so much. We could have just as easily made a call from the library," Weiss points out.

"She kind of has a point," Velvet notes.

"I know, but it's so cool! Oh, I'm gonna take a picture," Ruby says before she pulls out her scroll, but fumbles with it and it falls out of her hands.

The scroll bounces a few times before it stops when it hits someone's feet. That same person picks it up and it turns out to be their friend, Penny Polendina.

"Oh. You dropped this," She says, holding the scroll out to them.

"Penny?!" Ruby gasps.

"Uhhhh," Penny stutters.

"Where have you been? We haven't seen you since the night at the docks," Ruby notes.

"We were a little concerned when you disappeared on us after that fight. You never bothered trying to meet up with us after that," Velvet says.

"S-sorry. I think you're confused," Penny tries to act like she doesn't know them, but then hiccups, making the scroll bounce out of her hand and into Ruby's hand. "I've got to go," Penny says before quickly turning around and walking away.

"What was that about?" Weiss questions.

"I don't know...But I'm going to find out. You go make your call. I'll meet up with you later," Ruby says as she begins to chase after Penny.

"I'm going with her. Check in with you later," Velvet adds and leaves as well.

"Wait! Ugh!" Weiss calls out to them to no avail and can only shake her head at them.

As Penny is walking down some steps, Ruby and Velvet catchup to her.

"Penny, where have you been? It's been weeks!" Ruby asks her.

"There seems to be a…misunderstanding," Penny lies.

"What?!...Penny," Ruby says as Penny tries to walk away again, but Ruby slides down the rail bar in the center of the steps, with Velvet right behind her. "Is everything okay?" Ruby asks when they reaches the bottom, but Penny keeps walking away.

"That's enough!" Velvet says as she stands in front of Penny with her arms out wide.

"Penny, please stop!" Ruby stops her too, which makes Penny stop, look at her, then hang her head. "Look, I don't know what's wrong, but you have listen to us. Those guys we fought at the docks; we think they're up to something big, something BAD. I need you to tell me what happened to you that night. Please, as a friend," Ruby pleads with her.

"We're friends, aren't we, Penny?" Velvet asks.

Penny sighs before looking around at the people around them. She then walks up close to Ruby and Velvet.

"It isn't safe to talk here," she whispers.

…

"…I wish I could help you Ruby, but I don't know anything about those men," Penny says as the trio walk down a sidewalk past a local café.

"Well, what happened to you that night? We were all together, and then you just disappeared. Were you kidnapped?" Ruby worriedly asks her.

"Oh, no! Nothing like that," Penny quickly replies.

"I'd feel bad about any idiot who'd try to kidnap you after seeing you slice an entire airship in half like it was nothing," Velvet says.

"Well, then where did you go?" Ruby asks again.

"I've never been to another kingdom before. My father asked me not to venture out too far, but-Oh, you have to understand, my father loves me very much. He just worries a lot," Penny explains.

"Heh, believe me, I know the feeling," Ruby says, rolling her eyes.

"But, why not let us know you were okay?" Ruby asks.

"I…was asked…not to talk to you. Or Velvet, or Weiss, or Blake, or Yang. Anybody really," Penny explains.

"Asked'? Sure doesn't sound like that to me," Velvet mutters.

"Was your dad that upset?" Ruby questions.

"No, it wasn't my father," Penny begins until she hears a broadcast and they look over to the town square.

The town square has steps surrounding a square center, and on that center is a hologram of General Ironwood in front of two large crates behind six Atlesian Knight-130s. In the town square, they see a hologram of General Ironwood talking about his AK-130s before he then mentions a new robot soldier the Atlas military created.

"But, the kingdom of Atlas is a kingdom of innovation, and fine? Well, that's just not good enough, is it? Ironwood says as the two crate open up behind the AK-130s, revealing six new robot soldiers with more slender, humanoid looking bodies, and with white armor over the black inner workings still visible underneath. "Presenting the Atlesian Knight…200," Ironwood introduces the new machines, which kick over the older robots, standing on them, and making the crowd clap again. "Smarter, sleeker, and admittedly, a little less scary," Ironwood continues as the new machines do poses for the crowd. "These models will become active later this year, but they won't be alone. Now, the Atlesian military has always supported the idea of removing men from the dangers of the battlefield. However, there are still many situations that undoubtedly require…a human touch," Ironwood continues.

"Ruby…" Penny motions to Ruby, who continues to look on in awe, while Velvet looks on with her eyes narrowed.

"So…Our kingdom's greatest minds, in cooperation with the Schnee Dust Company, are proud to introduce…The Atlesian Paladin!" the Ironwood hologram explains and disappears as a larger machine takes his place, a hologram of the the Atlesian Paladin. "Now, we can't have them here for you today. But these mechanized battle suits will be seen defending the borders of our kingdom within the year!" Ironwood exclaims, making the crows applaud again.

 _"Reminds me a little bit of the Abbey,"_ Velvet thinks with displeasure.

"Woah," Ruby says, jaw dropped in sheer awe at the site.

"…Ruby, maybe we should go somewhere else," Penny says, stepping back a bit.

Just then two Atlas human soldiers wearing gray-and-blue body armor, black pants, silver helmets covering most of their faces, and guns strapped to their backs, notice Penny and her friends. Penny turns and starts running away across the street and down a back alley.

"Penny? Wait! Where are you going?!" Ruby calls out, but turns back to see the two soldiers running towards them.

"We have to go. Let's follow her!" Velvet says and they run after Penny, with the soldiers behind them.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Sorry about cutting it off like that, but I didn't want the chapter to be too long like that one time, and to fit my usual limit. Don't worry, you'll find out the rest in the next chapter. I looked up Velvet's other outfits from the game and thought the pirate one would be the best secondary combat outfit for her with a slight alteration, so I do not own it. One more thing, I have something special planned in the next chapter. Pop quiz: can anyone guess what it relates to? Well, until then, please Read and Review.**


	22. Chapter 22: The Protective Claw

**Here we are at Chapter 22. This is basically the rest of Vol. 2 chapters 3 & 4 together. Let's see how this plays out, along with that special surprise I mentioned before. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 22. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 22: The Protective Claw**

Ruby and Velvet chase Penny across a street and into an alleyway while the two soldiers are behind them. As they follow Penny, Ruby sees some wooden crates stacked together on a platform. As they run by it, she pulls out her scythe to slice through one of the legs on the platform, causing the whole thing to fall behind them, blocking off the soldiers from catching up to them. As they turn one corner and see Penny in front of them, Ruby jumps up and runs along the side of a wall on her right, using her semblance to catch up to Penny.

"Ruby, wait!" Velvet shouts to her as she tries to catch up.

Ruby gets close to Penny and Ruby then uses her semblance to shoot over to Penny and grabs her around her waist.

"This way!" Ruby says, and then winches as she uses her semblance again to shoot them down another alleyway like a rocket.

At one point, Ruby loses her energy and they drop onto the ground, with Penny stopping while Ruby rolls out onto another street. She slowly sits up and rubs her head until she hears a truck horn behind her and stands up, turning around to see a cargo truck coming at her. Velvet comes around the corner and bolts as fast she can to get to Ruby.

"Ruby!" she yells.

Suddenly, Penny pushes Ruby out of the way, and then holds her hands out, stopping the truck, causing a crater to form in the ground under her and the truck to lift off the ground for a moment. By this point, Velvet reaches Ruby, wrapping her arms around her and checking to make sure she's okay. However, both of them then look on in shock at what Penny did.

"Penny?" Ruby asks, her face filled with worry, and maybe a little fear.

"Are you okay?!" Penny asks the driver, who nods in confirmation. Penny looks at Ruby and Velvet and sees Ruby's scared expression, "Um, uh…" she stutters, looking at her hands.

She looks at other people converging on the scene, looking at her, and then she runs away, pushing past Ruby.

"Penny, come back!" Ruby calls out and they run after her again, leaving the scene as the two soldiers from before arrive on the scene. Penny stops at one point in the alley, and the Ruby and Velvet catch up to her. "Penny! Please, what is going on?! Why are you running?! How did you do THAT?!" Ruby asks, trying to figure out what's going on.

"Come on, you have to tell us what's going on. We can't help unless we know what's going on," Velvet adds.

"I-I can't. Everything's fine *hiccup*. I-I don't want to talk about it *hiccup*!" Penny says, hiccupping as she speaks, crossing her arms and turning her head away.

"Penny, if you can just tell me what's wrong, I can help you!" Ruby pleads with her.

"No. No, no. You wouldn't understand," Penny says.

"Then let us TRY to understand. Penny, you can trust us," Velvet says.

"You guys are my friends, right? You promise you're my friends?" Penny pleads, walking up to them.

"I promise," Ruby promises.

"You can tell us," Velvet says.

Penny looks down at her hands, "Ruby…Velvet…I'm NOT a real girl," she admits, showing her palms to reveal METAL parts from underneath the damaged skin.

"…Oh," Ruby utters, completely in shock, while Velvet looks in with her eyes wide. Ruby takes a few moments to takes all this in. "…Penny, I-I don't understand…," Ruby says, trying to cope with she just found out.

"What are you exactly, Penny? I'm not trying to be rude, but I would like to know," Velvet says.

"Most girls are born, but I was made. I'm the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an aura…I'm not real," Penny says, hanging her head.

Ruby reaches out, holding Penny's hands open first, but then closes them while still holding them.

"Of course you're are. You think just because you got nuts and bolts instead of squishy guts makes you any less real than me or Velvet?" Ruby comforts her.

Velvet looks at Ruby, _"That's just like her. Typical Ruby,"_ she thinks, smiling.

"I don't, um…You two are taking this extraordinarily well," Penny notes, confused.

"Believe it or not, I've seen crazier things in my time," Velvet says.

"Yeah. Besides, you're not like those things we saw back there. You've got a heart, and a soul, I can feel it," Ruby says, pointing at Penny's chest where her heart would be.

Penny then grabs the both of them, "Oh, oh, Ruby, Velvet, you two are the best friends anyone could have!" Penny happily says, pulling both of their heads into a tight hug.

"Ugh, too much happy. Can't breathe," Velvet chokes out.

Ruby groans, "I can see why your father would want to protect such a delicate flower," Ruby painfully says.

Penny then releases them, "Oh, he's VERY sweet. My father's the one that built me. I'm sure you would just love him," Penny says.

"Wow, heh-heh. He built you all by himself?" Ruby asks.

"Well almost. He had some help from Mr. Ironwood," Penny explains.

" _That one guy I met back at Beacon?"_ Velvet wonders.

"The general?...Wait, is that why those soldiers were after you?" Ruby asks.

"They like to protect me too," Penny says.

"You need protection? Not from what I saw back at the docks," Velvet notes.

"They're not sure if I'm ready yet. One day, it will be my job to save the world, but I still have a lot left to learn. That's why my father let me come to the Vytal Festival. I want to see what it's like in the rest of the world, and test myself in the tournament," Penny says.

"Penny, what are you talking about? Save the world from what? We're in a time of peace," Ruby says, getting confused.

"That's not what Mr. Ironwood said," Penny replies.

"Though I don't really know him, I'm not sure you can believe everything he tells you," Velvet adds.

"Check down here!" they hear the voice of one of the soldiers from earlier nearby.

"You have to hide!" Penny says, grabbing Ruby and picking her up over her head.

"Penny, Gah! What are you doing?! You don't have to go with them, I can help YOU!" Ruby shrieks, flailing around as Penny carries her to a nearby dumpster.

Penny throws her into the dumpster and the lid falls shut. Penny turns around to do the same to Velvet, but finds Velvet is already gone. Seeing as how Velvet is out of sight, Penny goes back to the dumpster, and opens up the lid a little bit to look at Ruby.

"It's okay Ruby. They're not bad people, I just don't want you to get in trouble. Just promise me you won't tell anyone about my secret, okay?" she whispers to her.

"I promise. Velvet promises too," Ruby replies before Penny closes the lid, but Ruby cracks it open a bit.

"There she is!" she hears the soldiers say as they catch up to Penny.

"Sal-u-tations, officers," Penny plays dumb.

"Why were you running? And what happened to the other two that were with you?" One of them asks her.

"What other two people? I've been by myself all day (Hiccup)," Penny lies, making herself hiccup from it and covering her mouth before placing her hands behind her back.

"You shouldn't cause such a scene," one soldier says.

"Are you okay?" the second asks her.

Penny shows them her hands, "Just a scratch," she says, but they get a little worried.

"Penny, your father isn't going to be happy about this," one soldier says.

"Please, just come with us," the other asks her.

"Yes sir," Penny replies, and they then walk away.

When the coast is clear, Ruby lifts the lid up and climbs out of the dumpster just as Velvet jumps down in front of her.

"Velvet, where did you hide?" she asks.

"I have my ways," Velvet replies, and then out of nowhere, wraps her arms around Ruby.

"V-Velvet?!" Ruby gasps in surprise, blushing.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to get to you in time before the truck almost hit you. I was worried you'd get hurt. I'm just glad you weren't hurt. Don't scare me like that again, okay?" she says.

Ruby returns the hug, "Okay. I'm sorry for worrying you, Velvet," Ruby says and separates from Velvet, though their arms remain around each other so they could look each other in the eye. Ruby starts to blush as she stares into Velvet's eyes. _"Her eyes really are beautiful…"_ she thinks until suddenly her scroll starts ringing, knocking the two of them out of their stupor, and quickly separating from each other. "Uh, I-I better c-check that," she stutters and opens up her scroll, showing Weiss on the other end. "Weiss, what's up? Did you make your call?" she asks.

"Of course I did. It would have gone better if you two had been there, like we planned back at Beacon," Weiss berates them.

"Cool it, Ice Queen," Velvet says.

"Hey!" Weiss retorts.

"You got the records, and that's all that matters. Let's just hope the others were able to get something on their ends as well. Just as planned, we'll meet you over near Yang with the others. See you later," she says and Ruby hangs up before Weiss could get a word in.

…

Later that night, Ruby and Velvet are on their way to Yang's when they get another call on Ruby's scroll, this time from Blake.

"Blake, what's up?" Ruby asks.

"Big killer robot! And it's big! REALLY BIG!" Sun suddenly yells from the other end.

"Oh, I am NOT missing this. Let's go Velvet!" Ruby says and they both go to help their friends.

The two race across town as they get closer to the highway. Ruby then calls Weiss on her scroll.

"Weiss, I need you to get that robot off the highway and away from the civilians. Think you can manage that?" she asks.

Weiss scoffs, "Of course I can. Who do you think you're talking to," she replies.

Ruby hangs up and looks at Velvet, "From what I can tell, Torchwick is chasing Blake and Sun across the highway. Once Weiss gets into position, she'll get it off and down to our level. Get ready for a big fight!" she says, to which Velvet nods.

They prepare their weapons and then see Weiss jump off one highway and land on another one below it. A moment later, they see a giant robot, the Atlesian Paladin fall through the side of the highway and onto the ground in front of them. Quickly after that, the rest of the team land right beside them, ready to fight.

"FREEZERBURN!" Ruby commands Yang and Weiss' combo move before she and the others jump out of their way.

Yang jumps straight into the air while Weiss stabs her sword into the ground and making another floor of ice. Yang cocks her right shotgun gauntlet while Weiss jumps out of the way and then she slams her fiery fist into the ice, exploding and making a dense fog appear in the area. The Paladin's multiple sensors activate, showing red targeting beams that start scanning the area and the mech slowly walks deeper into the fog. Roman looks around, not noticing Velvet running behind him in the fog. Blake the quickly moves past Roman's left, then Ruby zooms past his right side. Roman begins to turn left, and starts firing at Yang and Weiss as they run by, but only hits the ground. He then fires again at Yang and Blake, but misses, and then Ruby appears out from the explosion, charging right at him and hits the mech dead center before bouncing backwards. Velvet approaches from his left flank and jumps up, spinning her blade around as she lands a few strikes on his side before jumping away.

"CHECKMATE!" Ruby signals Weiss and Blake's combo attack.

Blake and Weiss appear by her side before they charge at the mech, slashing their swords at its legs a few times, before Weiss jumps up and stabs one of its sensors, rendering it useless, before forming a glyph under her feet and back-flipping away. The mech goes to squash Blake under its right foot, but Weiss makes another glyph under Blake, pulling her away before it could crush her. Growling, Roman activates the Paladin's rocket launchers, firing off several missiles at Blake and Weiss. Weiss and Blake back-flip away several times to avoid the missiles. The two then jump into the air. Roman fires off his energy cannons, which hit Weiss in mid-air while Blake lands on the ground. While flying back in the air, Weiss sends a time dilation glyph to form under Blake's feet, and then hits the ground. The glyph starts spinning faster, giving Blake a major increase in her speed. Yang and Velvet run by her.

"HELL FIRE!" Ruby calls out Yang and Velvet's combo.

The two run at Roman in a pincer strike, firing off their weapons at him from his flanks. When they get close, Velvet activates her demon claw and jumps up. Yang goes and punches the machine's legs while Velvet struck the machine's head (well, sort of its head), causing it to get knocked off its feet and fall onto the ground. Roman works the controls to get the machine up as the two jump back and fires off several more missiles at Blake. However, thanks to Weiss' glyph, Blake starts slashing purple crescent waves of energy at them, slicing the missiles in half. She makes a series of incredibly fast slashes, cutting the missiles as she lands on her feet, with many explosions occurring behind her. After her little show, Ruby then runs behind her.

"LADYBUG!" Ruby calls out her and Blake's combo move.

Ruby fires her scythe behind her, shooting her at the mech as she hooks her scythe on is crotch, slicing it as she zooms past it. She then fires her scythe again, sending her back at it while Blake then runs at the mech from her side. The two crisscross the mech four times while slashing at its legs before it spins around to fire its energy guns at Ruby behind it. Ruby and Blake jump up to avoid it, and then Roman looks up to see them diving down at him. When they get close, they slice off the mech's left arm. However, the mech manages to aim its arm at Ruby and fires off its cannon, hitting her and sending her to the ground. Roman then fires off several more missiles, all aimed at Ruby.

"RUBY!" Velvet yells, and without thinking, swings her demon claw as energy pulsed around it, sending a sudden burst of energy towards Ruby.

Ruby closes her eyes as the missiles close in and hears explosions around her. However, when she realizes that she doesn't feel any pain or heat around her, she opens her eyes and gasps in shock. In front of her is a larger, detached version of Velvet's claw, with the fingers wrapped halfway around Ruby like a protective shield. Everyone stares in shock, and then Velvet slowly looks at her claw.

 _"That wasn't one of my usual abilities, nor something I did with Dust…That must've been…My semblance,"_ she realizes.

Roman grits his teeth and fires more missiles, this time at Velvet. Velvet swings her arm again and creates another claw shield to block the attack. She jumps over the shield and fires off some shots as she runs over to Ruby.

"Are you okay?!" she asks, worried.

Ruby stands up, "Yeah, I'm fine," she replies and they both look back as Roman comes near them and prepares to throw a punch at them.

However, Yang suddenly pushes them out of the way and gets punched through two support beams before falling onto the ground.

"YANG!" Blake call out as she comes up beside Ruby and Velvet.

"Don't worry," Ruby starts as Yang slowly gets up. "With each hit, she gets stronger, and she uses that energy to fight back. That's what makes her special," Ruby explains Yang's semblance as Yang gets back on her feet, her hair glowing brightly from the added power.

Roman's Paladin walks up to Yang as Yang clenches her left fist. Roman throws another right punch at her, but Yang blocks the attack with her arms, causing a shockwave that destroys the ground behind her. Roman growls as Yang lifts her head, growling and with her eyes now in their crimson red color. She yells while thrusting her left fist at the mech, obliterating its remaining arm. However, Roman retaliates by kicking Yang away with the mech's left leg, making her fly by in between Ruby and Blake.

"BUMBLEBEE!" Ruby calls out Yang and Blake's combo.

Blake changes her sword into its chain-scythe form and throws it at Yang. Yang catches it, twists her body in the air before landing on her feet, and starts running in a wide circle, firing her gauntlets to give her an extra push. Blake pulls her around, and Yang goes to strike Torchwick, but his mech jumps back to avoid her attack.

"We have to slow it down!" Ruby says as Weiss comes up.

"And HOW do you propose we do that?!" Weiss asks.

"…ICE FLOWER!" Ruby calls out her and Weiss' combo.

Roman looks on as Ruby spins her scythe before stabbing the blade into the ground with the barrel aimed at him while Weiss conjures up some glyphs in front of her. Meanwhile, Velvet takes out two ice Dust crystals and absorbs them, coating her demon claw in ice. Ruby fires her rounds through Weiss' glyphs, turning them into ice rounds that explode into ice shards as they hit the Paladin, while Velvet fires off a large ice shard that consumes the mech's lower body in ice. The combined assault freezes the mech in place, rendering it immobile. Blake then spins Yang around again, her hair now on fire, and when Yang gets close, she slams her right into the mech, sending it flying. When it hits the ground, it breaks apart into many small pieces, leaving Roman Torchwick exposed as he rolls on the ground before getting back onto his feet.

"Just got this thing cleaned!" Roman says as he wipes off the dust on his sleeves.

He looks over to Yang and she fires a shot at him, but the shot gets blocked by a short girl using an umbrella as a shield. The girl has hair that's half pink, half brown, and having white streaks in the pink half. She has heterochromia, with her left eye being pink and her right eye being brown. She is wearing a white jacket with a pink interior, brown pants, and gray boots with very high heels. Under her jacket is a black corset, curved in the middle and at the bottom, exposing her hips. She also has on multiple beaded necklaces, which hang haphazardly around her neck. Her umbrella is elaborately decorated in lace fabric with multiple colors, being mostly pink and white (in the middle) as well as red and brown (at the edges) and is somewhat translucent. Neo rests her umbrella on her right shoulder, smiling all the while as the team runs up to them.

"Ladies, Ice Queen," Roman says, the last part aimed at Weiss.

"Hey!" Weiss retorts.

"Always a pleasure. Neo, if you would," Roman waves at them before turning to Neo.

Neo politely bows to the two teams. Yang readies her weapons and run at the two. But, as she strikes at them with her left fist, Neo blocks the attack with her umbrella, and then she and Roman shatter like glass, escaping from harm. She looks up to her left to see Roman and Neo escaping in a bullhead airship, the side door closing as they get away. The rest of the team runs up beside her.

"Damn! He got away again," Velvet says in frustration.

"So I guess he got a new henchman," Yang notes.

"Yeah, I guess she really made our plans…fall apart," Weiss says, snickering at her attempt to make a pun.

However, Ruby just stares at her while Blake walks away, and Velvet facepalms.

"No, just no," Yang criticizes Weiss' terrible pun.

"What-but you do it," Weiss retorts, hand on her hips.

"There's a time and a place for jokes," Yang explains, hands on her hips.

"Was this not it?" Weiss asks.

"No, it just wasn't very good," Yang replies before walking away.

"Well, at least I'm trying," Weiss says before following them.

"Wait…where are Sun and Neptune?" Ruby asks, noticing the two other boys still gone.

Velvet shrugs her shoulders, "Who knows. I'm sure they're alright…maybe," she says and leaves as well.

Yang looks back at her, "Well, anyway, thanks for saving my sister Velvet. When did you learn to do that cool move of yours, anyway?" she asks.

"Yes, I'm curious about it as well," Weiss adds.

"Honestly, this was the first time I used it. Didn't even know I had it, but I'm glad it came when it did. Guess I'm getting stronger with my semblance," she says as she stares at her right arm.

"Well, I thought it was pretty cool. You're really full of surprises, huh," Yang notes.

Ruby walks up next to Velvet, "Thanks for saving me Velvet," she says, smiling at her.

Velvet manages a small smile back, "Always. I told you as much, didn't I?" Velvet replies.

Ruby lightly blushes at this, but still smiles, "Yeah…You did," she says.

* * *

 **And now Velvet's true semblance has been revealed. After going through all the ideas that people gave to me in the past, and thinking about it, this is what I came up with, though no one directly came up with this one. It was inspired by all the defense ideas I got. Thank you to all who gave me the ideas to help make this semblance a reality. Roman got away. What awaits our team as Ruby and Velvet grow closer together? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	23. Chapter 23: Matchmaking - Part 3

**Here we are at Chapter 23. The views keep coming, so thanks you guys. Time to see how the team's doing since their little throw-down with Torchwick. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 23. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Matchmaking – Part 3**

"Are you seriously telling us that you lost some of your new machines, machines that YOU said would never be stolen in the first place?!" Glynda exclaims.

A few days after RVWBY's battle with Roman Torchwick, General Ironwood had paid Ozpin another visit to inform him about some of his new tech being stolen. Ironwood stood before Ozpin's desk, with the headmaster sitting in his usual chair, and Glynda standing on his right.

"Look, I'm still figuring out all the details myself, but that's basically the situation here. This can only mean that our supposed enemy is more sophisticated than I realized," Ironwood says defensively.

"Of course you wouldn't have realized that sooner. You're confidence in your machines and your forces had left them vulnerable," Glynda says.

"Enough, both of you. This kind of talk will not help anyone. For now, James, I suggest you take extra precautions to make sure this doesn't happen again. WITHOUT disturbing the people of Vale and making them feel nervous. Aside from that, we should continue our normal routine and try to make sure this doesn't get any worse," Ozpin directs them.

Glynda sighs, "Very well, Ozpin," she agrees.

"Fine. Then I better get going," Ironwood says and turns to leave. However, as he walks away, he suddenly stops. "Actually, there's one more thing I wanted to discuss with you that's made me a bit curious," he says as he turns around and walks back to them.

"And that would be?" Ozpin asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I met one of your students some time ago. She said her name was Velvet Crowe. Something seemed different about her when we met. One of them being that she said she was a first year here because of some family trouble. Care to explain that to me?" he inquires.

"It is true that Velvet Crowe is a first year here, though she's older than the other first-years. She applied and got accepted into this school two years ago, but then had to leave because something happened with her family. She has only recently come back to start her training, though she arrived a week late and had to be placed on an already formed team. Knowing how skilled she is and how much potential she possesses, I let that slide and allowed her to take the initiation exam, which she passed with flying colors," Ozpin explains.

"Family trouble? Yes, she mentioned that when we talked, but didn't give any specifics. What happened exactly?" he asks.

"She wouldn't say, and I didn't pry. I could tell that it was a very unpleasant experience for her, and I'd rather not stir up any painful memories for her. Is that a problem?" Ozpin asks.

"Well, no, but doesn't it make you wonder what exactly happened. Shouldn't you try to know everything about your students?" Ironwood counters.

"You forget, Ironwood. This is Beacon Academy, not Atlas Academy. You may feel like you have to know everything about your students, but I do not feel the same way. Family matters are between family, which WE have no business in. More importantly, I will not run my school the same way you run yours. I want to earn my students trust, and that means knowing when to give them some space. I can tell Velvet is someone that has been through a lot recently, and I will not put her, nor any of my students, through more stress than is necessary. They are studying to become warriors, which will involve living difficult lives. But that does not mean that every single part of their lives have to be painful and difficult. Do you understand?" Ozpin retorts.

Ironwood thinks for a moment, and then sighs, "I apologize. As a general, I have to be wary of a lot of things that I do not know about," he says.

"You are doing your job, James. I won't blame you for that. But not everyone is our enemy. And in this day and age, we need to make more allies, not enemies," Ozpin replies.

…

Meanwhile, late at night, the members of Team RVWBY are in their dorm room, studying. Each member had a textbook on their lap while they sat on their bunks.

"So Yang, did you finally finish that essay for Goodwitch? You know, the one you had to do after hitting her in the face with a pie, which was intended for either me or Ruby," Velvet asks with an unamused glare.

Yang laughs nervously, "He-he-he, well, I was able to finally get it done yesterday. She gave me a little, uh, motivation," she replies.

"Like what?" Ruby asks.

"Saying that I couldn't attend the school dance if I didn't get it done by then," Yang groans. "I'm just glad it's finally done, and out of my life."

Just then, Weiss's head bobs up, "Hey, that reminds me. You guys DO know how to dance, right?" she asks.

"Yeah, I do like to go to the club every now and then. Knowing how to groove comes with the territory. That, and breaking guys' hearts when I won't dance with them," Yang replies, smirking.

Weiss scoffs, "Please, I mean actually dancing. Not whatever it is you do. Ruby, Velvet, how about you two?" she asks as she looks at them.

"Not really. I'm not really a fancy, pancy…dancy girl," Ruby says, groaning at the thought of having to wear a dress and heels.

Meanwhile, Velvet thinks about this, "Um…I really don't know how to dance either. It never came up back home," she says. _"No reason to know how to dance when you're locked in a cell for three years."_

"Seriously?! Well then, I guess we'll just have to fix that little problem, won't we," she says.

"What do you mean?" Velvet asks, already not liking where this is going.

Weiss just smiles, "You'll see…"

…

"You CAN'T be serious?" Velvet flatly asks Weiss.

The team is in one of the empty classrooms, and Weiss had set her scroll to play some music on it.

"Oh, I assure you, I'm quite serious. If you are planning on going to the dance, then you need to learn how to dance. Luckily for you, as an heiress with musical talents, I am quite experienced in this field. That's why I'm going to teach you two how to dance," Weiss replies.

"Yeah, I'll help out too," Yang says as she steps up next to Weiss and then leans close to her, "You were planning for this, weren't you?" she whispers, to which Weis subtly nods in response.

"Come on, why do we have to do that?" Ruby whines.

"You, Ruby, are the leader of this team. This is a special event and we must show ourselves in a proper manner. As for you Velvet, you've made quite a name for yourself here, which has spread to us as well. Being able to dance that this special occasion is a necessary step. It's not that bad," Weiss explains.

"I think I'd rather be eaten by a Beowolf," Velvet mutters.

"Oh, stop it. Look, the sooner you two learn how to dance, the sooner you can leave. And we will not be leaving until you get it right," Weiss berates them. She then begins playing some music on her scroll. "Now then, first I'll show you how to dance with a partner in a setting such as this. Yang, can you waltz?" she asks the blonde.

"Pfft, who do you think you're talking to?" Yang replies with confidence.

The two walk into the center of the of the room, and Yang places one arm around Weiss' waste and the other in Weiss' right hand while Weiss places her one free hand on Yang's shoulder. The two then move one foot after the other in proper form, never losing their footing. Ruby and Velvet watch from the sidelines, each with their own thoughts. Ruby was a little mesmerized at seeing the two dance so splendidly, while Velvet had the sudden image of herself and Ruby in that position, making her blush.

Velvet quickly shakes her head to get rid of the image, _"Yeah, right. Like that would happen…right?"_ she wonders.

Yang and Weiss continue to show how it's done, both looking like their enjoying themselves.

"Truth be told, I'm a little surprised a brute like you knows how to dance like this," Weiss compliments her.

Yang smirks as she spins Weiss around under her arm before pulling her back in, "You'll find that I'm full of surprises," she replies.

The two continue for a few more minutes until the song ends and Yang spins Weiss around one more time before the two separate and bow to each other.

Weiss then looks at Ruby and Velvet, "Alright, that's basically what you two need to learn how to do. So, we'll have both of you dance together next so I can instruct you two at the same time. Now then, chop-chop," she says, clapping her hands together.

"Ah, forget it, I'm out of here," Velvet says as she tries to leave, but then one of Weiss' glyphs appears in front of the door, barring her exit. "You sure that's a good idea?" Velvet asks as she narrows her eyes at Weiss.

"Hey, if you leave, then you'll be hurting Ruby's feelings. I think she may want to give it a try. Ruby?" Weiss gestures to Ruby.

Velvet looks at Ruby, and sees her fiddling with her fingers a bit, and looking a little nervous with a slight blush.

"W-well, maybe we could…give it a try," Ruby says nervously.

Velvet looks surprised, "Ruby, you can't be serious?" she asks her.

Ruby walks up to Velvet, clasps her hands together, and gives her…the puppy dog eyes, "Velvet, do you think we could try just this once. Please?" she begs her.

Velvet tries to look away, but can't help but get caught in those silver eyes of hers, especially when they start tearing up a little bit.

 _"Argh, why does that have to be so good?"_ she mentally groans. "…Fine, we'll do it," she sighs.

She's no match for Ruby. The two of them step forth and enter the same position as Weiss and Yang.

"Now then, I think it would be better if Velvet tries to lead during this little session, so Ruby, just try to follow her lead. Follow my instructions and match the rhythm of my clapping, okay?" Weiss instructs them. "Velvet, right foot. Ruby, left foot. Now Velvet, left foot. Ruby, right foot. And repeat," Weiss says, clapping a slow rhythm for them to move in tune with.

The exercise starts out slow, with Ruby trying got follow Velvet's lead, while Velvet is focused on making sure she doesn't step on Ruby's toes. She is wearing metal boots after all. At point, Ruby accidently steps on Velvet's left foot.

"I'm sorry!" Ruby yells in apology.

"It's okay Ruby. Didn't really feel it. Just be careful okay," Velvet replies.

"Oh, okay. I'll try," Ruby says.

"Keep going. You're starting to get the hang of it," Weiss says from the sidelines.

Yang leans in, "This was a good idea for our plan," she says.

"Of course it is, who do you think you're talking to? Anyway just make sure to live up to your end of the bargain," Weiss reminds her.

Yang sighs, "Yes, mam," she says.

The two watch as Ruby and Velvet start to get the hang of it, moving a little faster than before. As they get the hang of it, they each find themselves locking eyes with the other, unable to look away. The two of them ae in their own little world as they stare at each other while dancing, starting to ignore Weiss' voice completely. They keep moving to the sound of the music being played, and Velvet even spins Ruby around a few times. However, at one point, because her attention had been focused solely on Ruby, Velvet accidently steps on Ruby's left foot.

"Ow!" Ruby yelps in slight pain.

"Ruby, I'm sorry! Are you okay?" Velvet asks, concerned.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. This is our first time doing something like this, so I guess it's expected," Ruby replies, calming her worries.

"Still, I should've been paying attention," Velvet says.

"If you weren't paying attention to her feet, then what WERE you paying attention to?" Yang teases them.

The two blush and quickly separate from one another.

"Enough Yang. From the looks of things, we still have some polishing to do, but we should be able to get you two into proper form in no time. Let's keep going," Weiss says.

"Wait a minute, has anyone seen Blake?" Ruby asks out of the blue.

The group all turn their heads and find no sign of the cat Faunus.

"Wasn't she just here a second ago?" Weiss asks, making Yang shake her head in response.

…

Later that night, the girls, minus Blake, return to their dorm and get ready to head in for the night.

"I'm first in the shower," Velvet says and grabs a towel and her pajamas before heading in the bathroom.

The others sit on their beds waiting, but Yang uses this opportunity to do some digging.

"So Ruby, I'm just gonna come out and ask it. Do you like Velvet?" Yang asks with a knowing smirk.

However, Ruby's innocence blocks the idea, "What do you mean? Of course I like her. She's our friend and our teammates," she says, not getting the hint.

Yang facepalms, "Not what I meant, little sis. I mean do you 'LIKE' like her? As in more than a friend," she reiterates the question.

At finally understanding what Yang was asking, Ruby starts blushing and gets nervous, "W-what?! What are y-you talking about? It's not l-like that, I swear!" Ruby stutters as the other two don't buy it.

"Oh please, do I need to remind you of the incident earlier today. You were staring into Velvet's eyes like they were the most beautiful gemstones in the world. Then of course, there was the time we found the two of you snuggling close to each other on her bed, sound asleep. Then, there was the time where your nose started bleeding after seeing her naked. Shall I go on?" Weiss lists off previous occurrences with a knowing smile.

This makes Ruby blush up to her ears as she pulls her hood on to hide her face.

"Ruby, it's nothing to be ashamed about. Just admit it and you'll feel better. We won't hold it against you," Yang encourages her.

Ruby glances one eye up at her and slowly pulls her hood down, "You promise?" she asks, feeling a little anxious.

"I give you my 'big sister' word," Yang replies, holding a hand up as if she's in court.

Ruby looks down and sighs, "…Okay…I like her," she finally admits.

"I knew it!" Yang exclaims.

"YANG!" Ruby whines.

"Sshh, quite, or else Velvet might hear you," Weiss shushes them.

"Anyway, Ruby, I think it's good that you've finally found someone you like. More importantly, it's someone I think I can trust with you. Otherwise, I would've thrown them off the top of Beacon tower," Yang playfully warns her.

"Really?" Ruby timidly asks.

Yang jumps off her bed, gets onto Ruby's, and wraps a supportive arm around her shoulders, "You're my little sister, and you always will be. But, even I need to understand that you're growing up. At least I feel a little bit more at ease since it's someone I know. But, no matter what, I've got you're back," Yang comforts her.

"Thanks Yang," Ruby replies.

By this point, Velvet comes out in her pajamas and goes to sit on her bed, "The shower's all yours," she says.

"I'm next," Weiss quickly says and rushes into the bathroom with her stuff.

"Oh, I'll help with your hair Velvet," Ruby says and jumps off her bunk to comb Velvet's hair like she usually does.

Meanwhile, Yang watches on from Ruby's bunk, _"Of course, I'll still need to give her the 'big sister' talk before I can let them start dating. But, if Ruby ever found out, she'd never let me hear the end of it,"_ she thinks.

A minute later, Blake walks in, looking slightly exhausted.

"Blake, took you long enough. Where have you been?" Yang asks.

"I was at the library, going over some stuff from our investigation. Guess I lost track of time," she says as she sits on her bunk.

The other three look on, a little concerned.

…

While Velvet is asleep, she opens her eyes and finds herself right back in the white expanse that she hasn't seen in a while.

"It's been a while," she says to on one in particular.

"It's good to see you again, Velvet Crowe," she hears the voice of the woman in the white hood behind her.

She stands up and turns around to see the woman, "I guess it has, Summer Rose," she greets her.

Summer Rose smiles, "How have you been Velvet?" she asks.

"I'm sure you know. I find it hard to believe that you could send me here and not know how I'm doing," Velvet replies, hand on her hip.

Summer giggles, "I guess you have a point…I see you've gotten close with Ruby. I'm glad to see it," she says.

"What are you talking about? You asked me to protect her? I'm just fulfilling my promise to you," Velvet says, looking away with a slight blush.

Summer walks up to her, "Velvet, don't lie to yourself. You deserve to be happy. Part of that is…well…falling in love. There's nothing wrong with that," she says.

"Really? Even if it's your daughter?" Velvet asks as she stares her in the eye.

"I've watched you for a long time Velvet. I know that you would never hurt Ruby. You have gone above and beyond to protect her. You wouldn't do that if you were just fulfilling a promise. Velvet…it doesn't help to lie to me…or to yourself," she offers her some soothing words.

Velvet thinks on her words, "I just…Why would Ruby want to be with someone like me? She knows the truth about me. She could do much better than…me," she solemnly says.

"Come on. A mother knows best, and I know that she likes you. You would be perfect for each other," she says.

"I doubt that. Even if I do say I like her, I'm not sure it would work out," Velvet replies.

"And yet, the two of you are always appears happier when you're together, if the two of you snuggling together is any indication," she woman chuckles with a big smile.

This makes Velvet blush, but she shakes it off, "What about those dangers that Ruby may have to face on this 'dark path' you mentioned when we first met? Any chance you can tell me about what they are?" she asks.

"Unfortunately, I am not omnipotent. I can't see everything. You'll have to figure that out for yourself," she says.

"I see. I guess it's just business as usual then," she notes.

"…It's time for me to go, but we'll see each other again soon. Take care Velvet…And don't sell yourself so short. Follow your heart, and it will never fail you," she says as everything goes white.

…

Velvet wakes up in her dorm, still dark out. She glances at Ruby, who is sleeping peacefully in her own bunk. She slowly closes her eyes as one last thought dwells on her mind.

 _"…I like Ruby…"_

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Getting a few things out of the way as we get deeper into Volume 2 of the story. If one won't admit something to themselves, then others will have to help them to do it. What awaits Velvet and Ruby in the future? Until next time, please Read and Review.**


	24. Chapter 24: Exchange Students

**Here we are at Chapter 24. Let's see how things are going for Velvet and the gang. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 24. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Exchange Students**

A few days have passed since both Ruby and Velvet have admitted, either to themselves or to others, that they like each other. Ever since, things have been a little awkward between the two. Ruby would make subtle glances at Velvet before looking away the second Velvet glances back. Meanwhile, Velvet would have occasional thoughts involving her and Ruby in romantic settings (excluding anything…mature), or looking at Ruby more thoroughly and thinking how cute she is. While they try to make it seem like everything is normal, Yang, Weiss, and Blake when she's around, can tell that's not the case. However, that's not the only thing that's bugging them. Since the school dance is coming up soon, many students, both male and female, have returned to asking Velvet out, this time as a date to the dance.

Of course, Velvet would send the boys packing and let the girls down gently, but this seems to only fuel their desire to get a date with her, like it has become some competition. Even some of the exchange students from other schools have been asking her to the dance. Not only does this give Velvet a major headache, but it gets under Ruby's skin, irritating her to the point where even she scared some of them away with her scythe (of course, she would never tell Velvet that). Currently, Velvet is venting her frustrations on some training dummies in the training room.

Velvet slashes at one dummy with her blades, ripping it to pieces, then fires off her gauntlet gun at a second, leaving several holes in it. Finally, she runs up and deals a powerful roundhouse kick that knocks a third dummy to the ground. With her makeshift anger management class over, Velvet wipes some sweat off her brow and proceeds to leave the training room.

"Not bad," she hears ahead of her and looks forward. She sees male exchange student that she met that one time with the gray hair, leaning against entrance to the hallway. He is wearing a gray and black two-toned partial-zip jacket, covering his upper body. He is also wearing a single notched belt with a sash or bandana draped over it, with a black winged-sandal shown on the sash. On his arms are sets of rerebraces and vambraces. He is wearing black pants and a pair of black, metal boots with a design similar to Yang Xiao Long's shotgun gauntlets, Ember Celica. "I'd hate to be those test dummies right about now. Don't need this pretty face getting messed up, you know," he jokes.

Velvet looks unamused, "You were one of those exchange students I met that one time. Your name is?" she asks, not really in the mood for talking.

"Mercury. Mercury Black. And you are Velvet Crowe. You've got quite a reputation around here," he says.

Velvet starts walking past him, "Then if you know that, you know not to get on my bad side. Otherwise, they wouldn't recognize you when you get back to Haven," she warns him.

Mercury starts following her, "Well, I like taking risks sometimes, especially with pretty girls like you. I hear that there's this dance coming up. You wanna-," he begins, but then stops when her arm blade is an inch from his throat. "-Or maybe not," he finishes, a little nervous.

"I'll only say this once. I'm. Not. INTERESTED," she declares, eyes narrowed at him. "Anything else you wanna ask?" she says.

"Well, I-," he begins.

"Mercury!" they hear behind him and look to see a girl walking to them.

Her hair is a light, mint-green cut with a straight fringe and bangs, as well as two long locks on each side, in the back. She is wearing two bronze-colored rings on her middle fingers as well as a pair of high-heeled shoes. Her attire consists of an intricate, exotic-looking, thin white top and shallow-cut, olive undershirt, on the back of which shows the symbol of a cut gem. She is also wearing a three-ring armband on her left arm. She also has on white pants and brown chaps ending at her calves and an overlong belt, twice-wrapped, where she has a pair of what seem to be pistols in rectangle-shaped holsters on her rear waist, and a single pouch.

"Hey, Emerald, think you can help me out here?" he asks. Emerald walks up them, looks flatly at Mercury, and then pulls his head back by his hair and smacks his skull. "Ow! What was that for? I didn't even do anything," he says.

"Oh please, like I'm going to believe that. You were hitting on her, weren't you?" Emerald says and then looks at Velvet, who had retracted her blade. "I'm sorry about him. He's…an idiot," she says.

"Hey!" Mercury retorts.

"Don't worry. I've dealt with plenty of idiots like him. Just keep him on a tighter leash, will you?" she says and turns to leave.

"See you around, good-looking," Mercury says, waving at her before Emerald smacks his head again. "Ow!"

Velvet sighs as she walks back to her dorm, "Besides, I still don't know if I'm going to the dance…Or if I could even go…with…Ruby," she mutters, blushing.

Shaking her head to get rid of her blush, she eventually makes it back to the dorm and opens the door, seeing the others besides Blake in the dorm.

"Hey Velvet. Did you have a nice training session?" Ruby says from her bunk.

Velvet walks in and flops down on her bed, "I guess. I'm starting to wish this dance thing would have been yesterday. These psychos are driving me nuts. It's even worse now because of the exchange students being here now," she groans.

Hearing this makes Ruby puff her cheeks as she looks away, something Yang doesn't miss and gets a mischievous smirk.

"You guys planning on going to the dance with anyone?" she asks.

"I've had a few people ask me, but I turned them all down. Even if I know how to dance now, it's still not really my thing," Ruby says.

"Not sure I'm even going. Can you really see me at a dance?" Velvet answers.

This makes Ruby look down, looking sad, though Velvet doesn't notice. Yang does, but looks more concerned and decides not to get too deep into it since she knows the reason behind it. However, Yang also notices that Weiss is looking a little melancholy as well, though she doesn't know why.

"I have some studying to do. Since you guys can't be quite, I'll go somewhere with a little more…silence," Weiss says and leaves the dorm.

"Is she okay?" Velvet asks.

Yang hops off her bunk, "I'll take care of it. You guys wait here, and keep an eye out for Blake while you're at it," Yang says.

"She's been gone a lot lately. And has been more reclusive than usual. It's starting to get annoying," Velvet notes.

"I think this investigation is starting to get to her," Ruby adds.

"We'll deal with that soon enough. For now, I need to find Weiss," Yang says and leaves.

Yang leaves the dorm and proceeds to search for the exalted heiress, first checking the library where she figured she'd find her, but no luck. Didn't even find Blake there either. Next she checked some of the empty classrooms, but still nothing. A while later, she finally finds Weiss out on the balcony, watching the sunset.

"Nice view, don't you think?" Yang asks as she approaches Weiss, who was startled by her voice.

"Yang, what are you doing here? I'm not really in the mood," Weiss says as she looks away from her.

Yang sits next to Weiss, "Looking for you. Something's bothering you, and so for you to lie about studying, it must be really bugging you. So, what's the problem? I'm sure I can help," she says.

"I highly doubt that," Weiss retorts, not meeting Yang's eyes.

"Weiss, it's bad enough that Blake's becoming more distant to us again, but I don't need you doing that too. We're a team, more importantly, we're friends. And friends help each other out when something's bothering them…So let me help you. Tell me what's wrong," Yang asks.

Weiss looks down in thought, thinking on her words, and then she looks back out into the sunset a moment later.

"I'm…envious," she admits.

"Envious? Of who?" Yang asks, raising an eyebrow.

Weiss sighs, "Of…Velvet and Ruby. I know they're not together yet, but you and I both can see that that's a highly likely possibility. What's more, they both like each other, that much is obvious. They may not ask each other, but I know that they'll basically be together at the dance," she explains.

"Okay, that still doesn't explain why you're jealous of them," Yang says.

"Because…I won't be going to the dance with someone like that. Believe me, plenty of people have asked me to the dance, but I turned them all down because they were only interested in one thing: my looks. Worse, they were interested in my last name. Back home, my father would sometimes try and set me up with suitors, sons of business partners for my father's company. He was hoping to get us together, just so he can make a profit. What made it worse was that none of them were interested in me for me. They only wanted money, or to get in bed with me. I've just…I'm envious of Ruby and Velvet because they have something I've never experienced before. The chance to find someone who likes me for me, maybe even love me for me. That's why," Weiss confesses, looking very sad. Now understanding, Yang wraps a comforting arm around Weiss's shoulders and pulls her closer to her. "Yang, what are you doing?!" Weiss asks, surprised.

"Look, I can sort of understand what you're going through. Not all of it, but some. That's why I have an idea, if you're up for it," Yang says.

"Up for what?" Weiss asks.

"Up for ME taking YOU to the dance," Yang answers.

"What?! What could possibly make you suggest that?!" Weiss exclaims.

"Not like a couple, but just as friends. Just because you may not have a 'date' date, doesn't mean you'll have to go alone. And, if you would like, we can grab a bite together in town, just the two of us. It can be just as friends as well if that helps," Yang explains.

Weiss appears stunned by this offer, "Yang…Why…Why would you make such an offer like that. I mean, I'm…flattered, it's just…" she trails off.

"Yeah, truth be told, when I told you how back at Signal, guys asked me out but I turned them all down. Well, one of the reasons about that is because, well, I'm a lesbian," Yang confesses with a sheepish smile.

This makes Weiss blush a little, "I…I had no idea…I guess it explains a few things" Weiss begins.

"Wait, you're not freaked out?" Yang asks.

"No, I'm not that shallow. I told you, I'm not my father, and I never will be…But wait, does that mean…" she begins.

"Don't worry. Believe me, you're really cute, and a really nice person when I got to know you better, and I would be honored to take you out on a date. But, I'm not going to push you into something you don't want to do. So, if you want to go just as friends to the dance, that's fine with me. So what do you say?" Yang asks.

Weiss thinks for a moment before looking back at Yang, "I guess…I'll take you up on your offer. But for now, I think it would be best if we went just as friends for right now. I…may need some time to build up to something…closer than that," Weiss replies.

"No problem. I can wait. I just want to make sure you have a good time at the dance," Yang says.

"Thanks Yang. You're a true friend," Weiss says as she leans her head against Yang and they watch the sunset.

…

The next day, Team RVWBY is in Glynda's combat class, watching as Pyrrha wipes the floor with all four members of Team CRDL. The group takes a feeling of joy at seeing the four stooges get their butts handed to them. Down in the arena, Pyrrha has already taken out three members of the group, though the third member was actually knocked out accidently by Cardin with his own mace. Cardin swings his mace down, releasing an explosion that moves towards Pyrrha. Pyrrha backflips over the attack and runs at Cardin, swinging her sword at him several times before knocking him into the air. She jumps up after him, slashing at him a few more times, sending him back and then propels herself off her shield towards him. When she gets close, she wraps her weapon around his neck, swings around him and starts spinning him around as they fall, slamming him into the ground and following up with a backflip kick for good measure. Cardin lands on the ground with his aura depleted and Pyrrha lands on her feet, signaling the fight's end.

"And that's the match," Goodwitch says as she walks up next to Cardin.

"Lucky shot," Cardin weakly says before falling back onto the ground.

"Well done, Miss Nikos. You should have no problem qualifying for the tournament," Glynda praises her.

"Thank you Professor," Pyrrha replies.

"Alright, now I know that's a tough act to follow, but we have time for one more sparring match. Any volunteers?" Glynda asks, checking her scroll before looking up to the stands with the other students in them before focusing in on Blake. "Miss Belladonna?" she gestures, making Blake jump up and close her book. "You've been rather docile for the last few classes. Why don't you-," she begins.

"I'll do it," Mercury interrupts, raising his hand.

Goodwitch adjusts her glasses, "Mercury, is it? Very well, let's find you an opponent," Goodwitch says, working on her scroll.

"Actually, I wanna fight…HER," Mercury points at Velvet.

"Me?" Velvet replies.

"You look like I good fighter. Plus, this will be a good chance to get some payback for last time," he says as he stands up.

"Velvet' what's he talking about?" Ruby asks.

"He was hitting on me," Velvet replies, and the team quickly understand what happened after that. "Fine, but this time, you're green haired friend won't be there to save you from my blade," she says.

A few minutes later, Velvet is already out on the arena floor, waiting as Mercury casually walks by to take his position. Ruby watches, fidgeting in excitement as the match gets ready to begin. A few moments pass before Mercury runs at Velvet, who remains in place. When he gets close, Mercury spins his body around and then thrusts his right foot at her. However, Velvet swings her arm blade to deflect it and uses the momentum to sweep her left leg at his, sweeping him off his feet, and then throws a right kick that sends him to the ground. Mercury spins his legs in the air, using the momentum of the action and his hands to jump back to his feet before doing two backflips to get some distance between them.

"You'll have to do better than that," Velvet says, looking unimpressed.

Velvet runs at Mercury this time, swinging her arm blade when she gets close, to which Mercury deflects with a spin kick with his left leg, and then activates her left foot blade before throwing a side kick at him, but he parries it with a right side kick. The two then parry three kicks from each other, but then Velvet jumps up and performs a front flip downward kick, slamming her foot into the ground with Mercury leaning back to dodge it. Mercury tries to counter attack with a right front kick, but Velvet deflects it with her gauntlet blade before firing off a shot at his left knee, staggering him, and then throws a hard left punch. Mercury blocks it with his arms, but ends up sliding back on his feet. When he stops, Mercury then hums, impressed.

"Still waiting. I thought you wanted payback. I guess most men are just all talk these days," she taunts him.

"Hey, your friend's doing pretty good, heh-heh," Ruby says to Emerald smiling behind her before she looks back to the fight, While Emerald looks annoyed.

Mercury smirks and then jumps, spinning his body in the air as he throws a right downward kick, which Velvet blocks with her arm blade. Mercury spins again to try and leg sweep Velvet, but Velvet backflips away and blocks a left spin kick from Mercury. Mercury spins around and slams his left leg down on Velvet, but only hits the ground when Velvet jumps back to avoid it. Mercury then runs at her and jumps up, doing a front kick that Velvet evades. Velvet counters with a few spins kicks with her foot blades, but Mercury intercepts each strike with his own. Mercury jumps back a few feet and then makes a jump kick aimed at her. However, Velvet activates her demon claw and grabs Mercury's thrown leg, swinging him around and slamming him into the ground before throwing him behind her like trash. Mercury lands on his feet, and hums to himself, smiling. However, the second he turns back, Velvet jumps up into the air and launches a fire arte at him. Mercury jumps back, spinning in the air and lands some feet away from Velvet. Velvet starts running at him again, demon claw poised to strike. But Mercury calmly turns to Goodwitch.

"I forfeit," he declares to her.

Seeing this, Velvet flips over him and lands behind him as she deactivates her demon claw.

"That's it? You're not going to try to fight?" she asks in disbelief.

"What's the point? You're a top-class fighter. We're obviously leagues apart," he plays it off.

"And Velvet Crowe is the winner of the match. Maybe next time, you may want to think a little harder before choosing an opponent," Glynda tells Mercury.

"I'll be sure to do that," Mercury replies and walks away, while Velvet just glares at him, a little aggravated.

After that, the bell rings for the end of class, making Blake bolt up, showing the dark shadows under her eyes.

"That is all for today. And remember, the dance is this weekend, but you all have your first mission on Monday. I will not accept ANY excuses," Goodwitch informs them.

The students leave the amphitheatre and as Team RVWBY walks away, Sun sees them and leaves his team to approach them.

'Hey, Blake, you uh, doing okay?" Sun asks, grabbing her shoulder to get her attention.

"I'm fine," she says, turning to him.

Sun coughs into his arm, "So, I hear there's this dance going on this weekend. Ah, psst, sounds pretty lame, but you and me, I'm thinking not as lame, huh?" he says, giving her a hint.

"What?" Blake asks.

'The dance, this weekend! Do you wanna go, or what?" he asks her.

"I don't have time for a stupid dance. I thought YOU of all people would get that, "she harshly rejects him, making him slump in defeat, while she walks away.

Ruby sadly looks at her before turning to see Sun with his head hung down in sadness. Meanwhile, Velvet narrows her eyes at Blake.

…

"You WHAT?! Blake shouts as she sits on her bed with Yang while Ruby and Weiss sit on Weiss' bed across from them, while Velvet sits on Ruby's bunk.

"We want you to go to the dance," Ruby says.

"That's ridiculous!" Blake replies, arms crossed.

"Blake, we're worried about you. This investigation is starting to mess with your head," Yang points out.

"You can't sleep, you hardly eat, and to be honest, your grades have been suffering," Weiss lists on her hand.

"You think I care about grades? Peoples' lives are at stake," Blake retorts.

Yang puts Blake's right hand down, "We know, and we're all still trying to figure out what Torchwick is up to," Yang says.

"Blake, even the mightiest huntsmen and huntresses need time to rest. You think they fight 24/7. They would burn out eventually, and that will cost them, just like what you're doing," Velvet adds.

"Exactly. Look, thanks to you and Sun, we know they're operating somewhere outside of southeast Vale," Ruby says.

Weiss raises a finger, "AND, the Schnee Company records singled out Vale as the primary target for dust robberies over the last few months," Weiss adds.

"Don't forget about their missing military tech, too," Yang says.

"But there are still unanswered questions," Blake says, still not listening.

"Blake, you won't be able to find anything if you can't even keep your eyes open," Ruby points out Blake's lack of sleep.

"In your current state, even Jaune could beat you," Velvet says.

"All we're asking is that you take it easy for ONE day," Yang says.

"It will be fun! Yang and I will make sure of it," Weiss says.

Yang bounces on the bed, "Yeah, we're planning the whole event," Yang happily replies.

"Excuse me?" Blake questions them.

"Team CFVY's away mission lasted longer than expected," Weiss informs her.

"So Weiss and I were asked to pick up where they left off. That way, we can make sure you have the perfect night," Yang says, pointing at Blake.

"And once it's all over, we'll return to our search, rested and ready," Weiss says.

"So what do you think?" Ruby asks Blake.

Blake thinks for a moment, "…I think this is a COLOSSAL waste of time," she rejects their idea and gets up to leave the room. "I'll be in the library," she says and leaves the room.

Yang sighs, "Great," Yang voices her displeasure.

"If she keeps this up, then when the time comes to actually fight, she'll go down in the first five seconds," Velvet angrily notes.

They then hear a knock at the door, and Weiss opens it to find Jaune with a guitar.

"Weiss~~," Jaune sings her name while playing the guitar, rather poorly. Jaune winks at her, but Weiss closes the door in his face and crosses her arms, an irritated look on her face. Jaune knocks on the door again. "Oh come on," he says, which makes Weiss rest her face in her left hand as he knocks again. "Open the door. I promise not to sing," he pleads. Weiss decides to open the door again, and Jaune goes back on his promise. "I lied~~!" he poorly sings again, and she facepalms. "Weiss Schnee~. Will you accompany me~. To the dance on Sunday~?" he sings, still playing the guitar.

"Are you done?" Weiss asks.

Jaune hesitates for a moment, "Yes?" he says, more of a question though.

"No. I already have a date," she says and slams the door in his face.

"When did the Ice Queen get a date?" Velvet asks.

"Hey!" Weiss yells.

"Date or no date, none of this will matter if we can't get Blake to go," Ruby says.

A second later, another knock hits the door, and this time, Velvet opens it up to find three guys with flowers in their arms.

"Velvet Crowe, will you go to the dance with me?!" they all yell.

Weiss and Ruby groan while Yang snickers, but Velvet just cocks her gauntlet and aims it at them.

"…NO," she rejects them and fires off her gauntlet gun…

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. A little longer than normal, but I wanted to add a little Freezerburn into the story. Sorry about skipping Pyrrha's fight, but I wanted to focus on Velvet vs. Mercury. Anyway, will Velvet go to the dance with Ruby? Will they help Blake? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	25. Chapter 25: Knocking Some Sense In

**Here we are at Chapter 25. We're nearly at the one of my favorite parts, the school dance. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 25. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Knocking Some Sense In**

A few days have passed since Velvet's match with Mercury. The school dance is coming closer and so everyone is getting ready, ranging from finding clothes to getting dates. Though the last part is driving Velvet closer to complete insanity. Of course, she still gets requests to be someone's date to the dance, and each one ends with the same result: soft rejection for the girls, harsh rejection for the boys. However, an even more pressing issue is Blake. Blake's obsession with stopping Torchwick is seriously worrying the others, and so far their attempts at getting her to slow down have yielded negative results.

Currently, Velvet is sitting with Ruby, who looks mopey while laying her head on a table in the ballroom. Yang walks by, carrying large speaker on her shoulder with ease, and then drops it next to them, making their chairs and the table bounce up. Yang wipes up her hands as she walks by.

"So, have you guys picked out dresses yet?" she asks.

"You're joking right?" Velvet replies.

"What's the point? Who cares about the dance if Blake isn't going," Ruby says, still feeling down.

"Oh, don't worry. She's going," Yang says confidently, and the turns to face Weiss. "Weiss! I thought we agreed. No doilies!" she yells.

Weiss walks up to her and puts a finger in her face, "If I don't get doilies, you don't have fog machines," she retorts.

Just then, a door opens up and Sun and Neptune walk in.

"You're dance is gonna have fog machines?" Neptune asks.

"Maybe, as long as I get my doilies," Weiss says, glancing at Yang.

Neptune points at her, "That's pretty cool," he says.

"Forget it, Neptune, I already have a date," Weiss replies, looking away from him, and making him slouch in defeat.

"You ladies all excited for dress up?" Sun playfully asks as he walks up, making Weiss slouch and frown at his presence.

"Hell no," Velvet groans.

"Laugh all you want. I'LL be turning heads tomorrow night," Yang says, confidence filled her voice as she crosses her arms.

"Okay…What are you two wearing?" Weiss asks Neptune and Sun.

"Uh, this," Sun motions to his clothing.

Neptune puts a hand in front of Sun's face, "Ignore him, for he knows not what he says," he playfully says.

Sun pushes the hand out of the way, "Hey, I may have moved to Mistral, but I grew up in Vacuo. It's not exactly a shirt and tie kind of place," Sun says.

"Yeah, we've noticed," Yang deadpans.

Sun rubs the back of his head, "So, uh, what does Blake think of all of this? She still being all, you know, Blakey?" Sun asks.

"Obviously," Weiss says, crossing her arms.

"I still can't think of a way to change her mind," Ruby says.

"Guys…" Yang says, walking in front of them. "…Trust me. Blake WILL be at the dance tomorrow," Yang proclaims as she walks away.

Velvet leaves her seat and quickly catches up to her, "I know what you're doing. I'm coming with you. The two of us together should be able to talk some sense into her," Velvet says, and Yang nods as they leave.

…

Blake is in the library, working on one of the computer stations as she continues her search on what the White Fang and Torchwick are planning. As she is working, Blake sees a red dot appear on her screen. The red dot moves along the screen, her eyes following it, and eventually falls onto her right hand. She moves her hand, and it disappears, before she looks back to find the culprit, but sees no one responsible. Feeling slightly irritated, Blake turns back to her screen and continues researching, only to see the red dot appear on her right hand again. Blake looks back again, seeing nothing, and turns back around. A second later, the same red dot appears on her screen again, and starts moving across the screen. She watches it for a moment before she gets angry and pounds her fists onto the table. She stands up and turns around, angry, but then sees the red dot on the ground in front of her. Blake begins following the red dot until it turns around a bookshelf in front of her. She follows it around the bookshelf until she looks up to see Velvet with her arms crossed, scowling, and Yang holding a red light pointer at her, a big smile on her face, spooking Blake.

"Hello~!" Yang sings to her.

"What are you-," Blake begins, but Velvet grabs her left arm.

"We need to talk. NOW," Velvet replies, before pulling Blake away with them.

…

The three end up in an empty classroom, with Yang sitting crossed legged on the front desk, Velvet leaning against it next to her, and Blake pacing in front of them.

"If you guys are going to tell me to stop, you may as well just save your breath," Blake says as she walks by, arms crossed

"We don't want you to stop Blake. We want you to slow down. You're not helping anyone by acting like this," Velvet retorts.

"We don't have the luxury to slow down," Blake replies, scowling.

"It's not a luxury, it's a necessity," Yang adds.

"The NECESSITY is stopping Torchwick," Blake says as she looks at them.

"And we're going to, but first you have to sit down and listen to what I have to say," Yang says, patting a spot on the front desk.

Blake thinks for a moment before she sits on the desk, "Fine," she reluctantly says.

"Ruby and I grew up in Patch, an island just off the coast of Vale. Our parents were huntsmen. Our dad taught at Signal, and our mom would take on missions around the kingdom. Her name was Summer Rose. And she was like…super mom. Baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters. And then…one day she left for a mission and never came back. It was tough. Ruby was really torn up but…I think she was still too young to really get what was going on, you know. And my dad just kind of…shut down. It wasn't long before I learned why…Summer wasn't the first love he'd lost…she was the second. The first…was my mom," Yang solemnly confesses, shocking both Blake and Velvet. "He wouldn't tell me everything, but I learned that the two of them had been on a team together with Summer and Qrow, and that she left me with him just after I was born. No one had seen her since," Yang says, feeling a little down at the memory.

"Why did she leave you?" Blake asks, getting a little curious along with Velvet.

Yang sighs, "That question…Why?" Yang says before standing off the desk wand walking up to the chalk board. "I didn't know the answer, but I was determined to find out. It was all I thought about. I would ask anybody I could what they knew about her," Yang continues, picking up a piece of chalk and starts drawing something on the board. "Then one day, I found something. What I thought was a clue that could lead me to answers. Or maybe even my mother. I waited for dad to leave the house, put Ruby in a wagon and headed out. I must have walked for hours. I had cuts and bruises, was totally exhausted, but I wasn't gonna let anything stop me. When we finally got there, I could barely stand, but I didn't care. I had made it…And then I saw them, those burning red eyes. There we were, a toddler asleep in the back of a wagon, and a stupid girl too exhausted to even cry for help. We might as well have been served on a silver platter…But, as luck would have it, our uncle showed up just in time…My stubbornness should have gotten us killed that night," Yang ends her story, putting the chalk piece down.

Blake stand up, "Yang…I'm sorry that happened to you, and I understand what you're trying to tell me, but this is different. I'm not a child, and this isn't just a search for answers! I can't just-," Blake begins.

"I told you, I'm not telling you to stop. I haven't. To this day, I still wanna know what happened to my mother and why she left me, but I will never let that search control me. We're going to find the answers we're looking for, Blake, but if we destroy ourselves in the process, then what good are we?" Yang says.

Blake then gets irritated, "You don't UNDERSTAND, I'm the only one that can do this!" Blake continues to not listen to her.

However, before Yang can argue back, Velvet suddenly grabs Blake by her shirt and pins her to the chalk board, looking livid.

"YOU ARE AN IDIOT!" She shouts.

"Velvet, what are-," Blake begins.

"You want to stop Torchwick, well so do I. So do all of us, but if all you think about is stopping him, then the second you find him, he'll kill you in mere seconds! How would that help anyone, huh?!" she yells.

"I can stop him. I'm the only one that can stop him," Blake tries to retort.

"So what? The rest of us are just wasting our time, trying to help you, and that we shouldn't even try to stop him together? As a team? As your FRIENDS!" Velvet counters.

At this point, Blake gets scared, "What? N-no, it's just-," she begins.

"Listen Blake, if you continue down this path, the only thing you'll accomplish is getting yourself killed, and leaving your friends in pain from your death. Do you want Ruby, Weiss, or Yang to go through that?" she interrupts her.

This makes Blake hesitate, "…No, I-I would never want to put them through that," she replies.

"Look Blake, you can't go down this road. It doesn't end well for anyone," Velvet adds.

At hearing this, Blake gets a little angry, "What do you know? You've never been in my position before, so what gives you the right to say that?" she demands.

"Because I once thought of nothing but REVENGE for my brother long before I came here!" she yells.

"…V-Velvet…" Yang mutters, finally regaining her voice in this exchange.

"W-what?" Blake asks, stunned.

Velvet drops Blake and steps back, her body shaking, "Remember when I told you guys that my brother died. Well…he was killed as part of some ritual back home…and by someone I once considered family," she says, not meeting their eyes.

"Velvet…what do you mean?" Yang asks.

"I mean my innocent little brother was killed…by my brother-in-law, Artorius," she admits.

This shocks the other two, "What?! Why…why would he do that?!" Blake asks.

"He wanted power and performed a ritual that required a sacrifice, and my brother was his choice. Then, I was thrown into a cell for nearly three years. During that time, all I could think about was killing him and getting my revenge. To make him pay for what he did. My little brother, Laphicet, was a sweet and innocent boy who didn't deserve that. Soon enough, I managed to break free and so I went off to find him, and take my revenge," she says.

"Velvet, I'm…sorry that happened to you, but what does that have to do with-," Blake begins.

"Shut up!" Velvet stops her before she calms down a little. "Revenge was the only thing on my mind at that time. I didn't care about anything, or anyone, else. However, it all changed when I took in the boy who I named after my brother. This Laphicet began to show me the way. I nearly lost myself in my thirst for revenge, but he saved me. He helped me remember what was important. He saved my life, and my soul," Velvet says as she looks up and they are stunned to see signs of sadness in her her eyes. "That's what I'm getting at, Blake. If you continue down this path, you'll only become a shadow of your former self. You'll become no better than the one you're trying to stop, or worse, kill yourself in the process. You don't have to face this alone. You have friends by your side, so stop pushing them away. We all care about you Blake, so don't think you're alone in this," Velvet says as she walks up and surprises Blake by hugging her, followed by Yang who joins the embrace. "You don't need to bear the world's problems on your shoulders, especially alone," she says.

"Blake, we're not asking you to stop. Just please, get some rest. Not just for you, but for the people you care about," Yang finishes as they separate. "I really think you should come out to the dance. I'm…kind of going with Weiss, but if you feel like coming out, I'll save you a dance," Yang says as she winks at her. Velvet takes this chance to leave the room, but Yang calls out to her. "Velvet, about…about your brother. Did…Did you…" she hesitates to ask.

Velvet stops at the exit, but doesn't look back at them, "…I did what I had to do. Let's just leave it at that. I don't want to talk about it anymore. Word of advice, Blake; don't end up like me," she says and leaves, leaving the other two concerned, and a little scared.

Velvet quickly makes her way back to the dorm room, wanting some alone time and to just rest after having to talk about her past to Blake and Yang. She knew she had to tell Blake in order to get her head back on straight, but it still didn't make it any easier. Eventually, she makes it back to the dorm room, and opens the door to find only Ruby inside, sitting on her bed, studying.

"Oh, hey Velvet, where did you and Yang go?" she asks.

"We…went to talk with Blake. Try to set her straight. We've done all we can, the rest is up to her now," she says and flops onto her bunk, feeling exhausted.

Seeing that something is wrong with Velvet, Ruby closes her textbook, and jumps down to sit next to Velvet on her bed.

"Is everything okay?" she asks, concerned.

Velvet glances up at Ruby and sighs, "I…I told Yang and Blake a little bit more about my past. About how Artorius killed Laphicet, and my thirst for revenge, my desire to kill him for it. I just, I wasn't quite ready to tell them that, but I had to in order to make Blake see that she was making a huge mistake with obsessing over Roman Torchwick. But, that didn't make it any easier. I'm just tired from it all," she says. Understanding the situation, Ruby takes the initiative and wraps her arms around Velvet as she lays down with her, surprising Velvet. "W-what are you doing, Ruby?" she asks, flustered.

"You would always do this for me when something was bugging me. I always felt better when you would hold me. It's time I returned the favor," Ruby replies.

Admittedly, Velvet felt at ease in Ruby's arms, and slowly wrapped her arms around Ruby's waist, breathing a heavy sigh of relief at the close proximity of the two.

"Thank you, Ruby," Velvet says as she closes her eyes.

Ruby smiles for a moment, "Velvet, can I ask you something?" she asks.

"What is it?" Velvet asks without opening her eyes.

"I know that dances aren't really your thing, but I was wondering if maybe…well, I was hoping that…" Ruby trails off as she starts to blush.

This time, Velvet opens her eyes and looks up at her, "Ruby, just tell me what it is," she insists.

Ruby takes a deep breath, "I know this is a lot to ask…but will you…will you come to the dance? Yang and Weiss will definitely be there, since they're running the place basically. Hopefully, Blake will show up if what you said to her works, and I'll be going as well. I would really appreciate it if all of us were there. You never had a chance to really enjoy events like this back in your world, so I think you should try to enjoy them now. We only get one school dance after all," she says.

Velvet looks a little stunned, but relaxes as she moves up to stare Ruby right in the eye, "Ruby, I'm…not sure I'd be good company at the dance," Velvet tries to dissuade her.

"Velvet, please. For me?" she asks again.

Velvet looks right into those pleading eyes of her, and can't help but want to make her smile.

Velvet sighs, but then smiles, "Alright, I'll go to the dance. Just for you," she relents.

Ruby smiles and the two of them rest their foreheads against one another as they slowly fall asleep, arms still entwined around their bodies.

…

The next day, Ruby is on her way back from class when Yang comes up to her.

"Ruby, we need to talks. It's about Velvet," she says, looking serious. She takes Ruby to a balcony with no one around so they can talk. "Listen, yesterday, Velvet and I went to talks some sense into Blake. At which point, Velvet…said some things that have me concerned," she says.

"…You mean about her brother and Artorius," Ruby replies.

"Wait, you knew about that?" Yang asks.

"Yang…I know everything about Velvet. About her past, about what she did, about how she ended up coming here. Everything. She told me because she believed I needed to know, since I'm the leader of the team, and the first person her who became her friend," Ruby explains, trying to word her answer correctly to not give anything away.

"Well, if you already know, then maybe you should think about your crush on her. Maybe it might not be a good idea. I think you need to-," Yang begins, before Ruby suddenly slaps her across her face, shocking her.

When she looks back at Ruby, she sees her starting to tear up, "First, I'm sorry for doing that. Second, it doesn't matter what she did in the past. What matters is that she's our teammate, and more importantly our friend. And here you are, trying to get me to push her away again. Can't you see how much pain she's gone through in her life? Have you forgotten all she's told us about herself? All we've been through together?" Ruby says, starting to cry.

"Ruby, I-," Yang begins.

"Shut up! Yang, what would you do if you were in her position? If someone we knew and loved suddenly killed me, and locked you up? What would you do, huh?!" she asks. Yang tries to speak, but no words come out of her mouth. Deep down, she honestly didn't know what she would do if someone did that to Ruby. All she did know…was that she would lose it, and nothing good would come of that. Deep down, she could see where Ruby and Velvet were coming from. "Yang, I love you. You're my sister, and I know you're just trying to protect me, but I'm not a little girl anymore. I can take care of myself. More importantly, we can't judge Velvet based on just ONE thing she did in the past. Focus not on her past, but on what she's done since she came her. About what she'll do now. She may have done some things in the past, but that was the old Velvet. The Velvet I know, the Velvet I've come to care about, the Velvet that is here with us now, is someone who tries to be a loner, but she actually cares about her friends, and tries to help them when she can. She always been there to help me, and us. Even back then, she travelled with people she learned to care about. Velvet is a good person Yang, just like you, and just like me. That will never change. And you can't make me stop liking her," she declares in tears.

Thinking about it and seeing the value in Ruby's words, Yang relents and softly hugs Ruby, who returns the embrace.

"Okay Ruby. I'm sorry. I guess learning about that part of Velvet's past just scared me a bit. But you're right, that was the old Velvet. This Velvet is our friend, and someone that I think…No, someone that I KNOW I can trust with my sister. And you're right, I can't make you like or not like someone. That part of your life is yours alone, and I'm sorry for trying to control it. I'm sorry," Yang says a she looks at Ruby and wipes her tears away.

Ruby smiles, "Thanks, Yang," she says.

"Hey, that's what big sisters are for," Yang replies, smiling back.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Velvet has revealed a little bit about herself to Yang and Blake, and Yang is coming to terms with the fact that her baby sister isn't a baby anymore. Off topic, I'm going back to college in a few days, so updates for my stories will be less frequent because of school work, but I'll try to update them as soon as I can while I'm there. Next chapter is the dance. What kind of chaos (both good and bad) will occur next? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	26. Chapter 26: The Dance - Part 1

**Here we are at Chapter 26. Time for the school dance, and all the shenanigans that come with it. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's Chapter 26. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 26: The Dance – Part 1**

Tonight is the night of the dance, and everyone is excited for the special event. Well…everyone except for Velvet. She made it clear to the team that she doesn't do dances, however, she also said that she'll go just because Ruby asked her to. Inside the ballroom, decorations are up, the music is playing, and students are either dancing with their partners, or hanging out with friends, but all are having a good time. At the front of the ballroom, Yang is standing behind a podium, wearing a white, sleeveless dress with gray edging that shows off her figure, and white pumps. Playing with her hair a bit, she welcomes a few more students inside before Weiss walks up behind her.

"Hey Yang," she gets her attention.

"What's up Weiss?" Yang replies as she turns around to face her. Weiss is also wearing a white dress, but this dress has cutouts on both sides of her waist, a translucent mesh for the yoke of her dress, and white pumps. "Did I ever tell you that you look amazing in that dress?" she jokes.

Weiss rolls her eyes, but smiles anyway, "Yes, three times now. Anyway, is everything going well here? I still have yet to see the others," she asks.

"Nope, not yet. Don't worry, Blake WILL be here, and I'm sure Ruby is just having a little trouble getting used to wearing a fancy dress. Not really her style. And Velvet…" she trails off.

"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with Velvet?" Weiss asks.

"No, she's fine, it's just…During our talk with Blake, to get her to slow down and come to the dance, Velvet says some things that has me concerned. Remember how she and Professor Ozpin said that she came to this school two years ago, but had to leave for a family emergency?" Yang says.

"Yes. What about it?" Weiss asks.

"Well, she told us about how her little brother, Laphicet was killed. It was someone who was her brother-in-law, a man named Artorius. He killed him as part of some ritual in order to gain power, and then after that, he had Velvet locked up for THREE years. Velvet says that once she got out, she went after him, and during that time she met those friends of hers that she told us about last semester," Yang explains, stunning Weiss.

"What?! Three years? But if she was locked up for three years, then how could she have only been gone for two years? Yang, you don't think…" Weiss says.

"I don't know, but something isn't adding up. I wanted to tell Ruby about it, but she said that she already knew about it. That Velvet told her everything about her past, more than the rest of us know about. It has me concerned," Yang says.

Weiss remains silent for a moment, but then she places a comforting hand on Yang's right shoulder, "You're a good older sister, Yang. However, if our leader knows about all this, and still trusts her, and even likes her, then I think we should try to understand the situation before we jump to conclusions. I trust Ruby, and so should you," she says.

"Aren't you concerned about all this?" Yang asks.

"Of course I'm concerned, but…I know first-hand what it's like to be betrayed by family. Listen, we'll find out the truth soon enough, but for now we have a more important job to do. That's making sure this dance goes off perfectly. We all need a little break, and do you want to ruin Ruby's night with Velvet since she likes her so much?" Weiss asks.

Yang looks on for a moment, but then sighs and smiles, "You're right. Every girl our age deserves to have the best school dance. I want Ruby to have that as well. Thanks Weiss," she thanks her.

"Of course. Besides…you look better with a smile on your face, and I will not have my date sulking around tonight. You still owe me a dance after all," Weiss says before she turns and leaves.

"Woah, what a woman," Yang mutters as she watches Weiss walk away. A moment later, she hears the doors open up behind her and turns around to see Velvet…not wearing a dress. Velvet is wearing a long-sleeved white dress shirt, a black vest with a red tie, black dress pants and shoes, and black gloves. "What are you wearing?" Yang asks, bewildered.

"Would you rather I came in my pajamas?" Velvet retorts.

"But, what about your dress? I thought Coco got you one for the dance," Yang says.

"Yeah, doesn't mean I have to wear it. I told her I wouldn't get the dress unless I get this as well. I promised Ruby I'd come to the dance, but I never said anything about wearing a dress," Velvet counters.

Yang pouts, "Aw, come on. Ruby would've loved seeing you in a dress. This is a dance after all," she says.

"And give you ammo to tease me with. Fat chance of that happening. Look, I'm here now, and that's really all that matters. I'll be waiting for Ruby to show up," she says and walks away to lean against a wall off to the side.

Yang groans, "I wouldn't do anything like that…maybe," she mutters.

Velvet waits off to the side of the ballroom, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Some of the girls came by and asked her if she wanted to dance with them, but she told them that she already has a date and is waiting on them. Hearing that she was already with someone, the girls walk away in defeat. Most of the guys stayed away, one, because she wasn't wearing a dress, and two, because she gave them a death glare that scared them away before they could even get close. After a while, she hears Yang squeal.

"Oh, you look beautiful!" she praises someone.

Velvet looks back, and immediately her eyes widen.

"Whoa," she mutters in awe.

In front of the ballroom doors, stands Ruby, wearing a short, red, sleeveless dress with a thick black sash around the waist and black edging at the bottom. The bodice of the dress is split vertically to the sash and laced with black lacing. The yoke of the dress is translucent mesh with an opaque collar and hem, as well as opaque lines connecting the collar to her shoulders. She also wears black stockings and pumps. Honestly, she was breathtaking.

"Can we please have a serious conversation about how Weiss fights in these," Ruby groans before she has trouble walking in her pumps, much to her giggling sister's amusement. "So, have you seen Velvet around?" Ruby asks. Yang points behind her, and Ruby looks to see Velvet in a tux. She sort of half pouts, half smile at seeing her there. _"Aw, I would've liked to see Velvet in a dress…Well at least she looks nice in that tux,"_ she thinks as she walks over to her, having some trouble doing so because of the pumps. "H-hey, Velvet. I'm glad you showed up…You…look really nice," she stutters.

"Um, yeah, you look really nice too," Velvet replies, her mouth going dry. _"Since when had my mouth become so dry? Maybe I should get some juice,"_ she thinks before shaking her head out of her stupor. "I'm going to get some juice. Do you want some?" she asks.

"Sure, that would be great," Ruby replies.

Velvet nods and moves over to one of the long tables where the punch bowl was stationed. As she was pouring their punch, she saw Jaune walk over to her, wearing a black tux with red edging.

"Hey, Velvet. I must admit I wasn't expecting you to show up, let alone show up in a tux, though you do pull it off," he says as he takes the punch dipper after Velvet is done.

"Was that your attempt of getting me to dance with you?" she deadpans.

Jaune laughs nervously, "Heh-heh-heh, no, I want to live to see my next birthday, thank you very much. By the way, have you seen Pyrrha yet? I've already seen Nora and Ren, but she hasn't shown up yet," he asks as he pours himself some punch.

"Not yet. I'm sure she'll be here, just don't blow it when she does," she says as she takes her drinks in her hands.

"Wait, what do you mean?" he asks, confused.

Velvet rolls her eyes, "Never mind," she says and turns to leave. "I can't believe how dense he is. I guess it's like what they say, stupid is stupid does," she mutters and returns to Ruby. "Here's your punch Ruby," she offers as she hands Ruby her drink.

Ruby happily takes it, "Thanks Velvet," she says and goes to take a drink.

Just then, the ballroom doors open up and they turn to see Sun and Blake walking in together, Blake holding on to Sun's right arm. Sun is basically wearing his usual outfit, though this time, he is wearing a buttoned up black dress shirt with a blue tie. Meanwhile, Blake is wearing a short, purple, asymmetrical, halter neck dress that is split up the right side and has a black collar. Translucent black mesh covers her shoulders, decolletage and back, and decorative black swirls cover the left side of the dress and continue up the left strap. The outfit is completed with black pumps.

"Oh, you two look great together!" Yang squeals, making Blake blush a little bit. Yang walks up to them, "I'm glad you could make it Blake, now then I believe I owe you a dance. Sorry, monkey boy, you're gonna have to wait," she says and takes Blake's hand and leads her onto the dance floor.

"Well, it looks like whatever you and Yang said to her worked. Thanks Velvet," Ruby says.

"No problem. That's what friends are for," Velvet replies.

The two, along with Weiss and Sun, watch as Yang and Blake dance together along with the rest of the dancing students in the center of the ballroom. From their position, they can see Blake smiling and enjoying herself. After a few minutes, Yang spins Blake around before they bow to one another. Yang then motions for Sun to take over and he starts dancing with Blake while Yang walks away. Yang walks up to Ruby, Weiss, and Velvet as they look on at Blake dancing with Sun, laughing at something he said before looking back at them, smiling.

"I told you she would come," Yang says.

"Mission accomplished," Weiss adds.

"It's about time," Velvet notes, sipping her punch.

"So…what do we do now?" Ruby asks, looking at them.

"Just have fun," Yang says before she and Weiss leave Velvet and Ruby to themselves as they watch them go.

"Does that mean that I can change out of these stupid things and into my hood now?" Ruby pleads. "Stupid lady stilts," Ruby complains about her pumps as she still has trouble walking in them.

"At least shoes are the only thing you're uncomfortable with. I don't feel right wearing this whole outfit I got on. It just doesn't suit me," Velvet adds.

"Not enjoying yourselves?" they hear a voice and see Professor Ozpin walk up beside Ruby' left side.

"What do you think?" Velvet flatly asks.

"Oh, no, haha. Everything's fine. I'm just not much of a…fancy-pancy, dancy girl," Ruby replies.

"That makes two of us," Velvet mutters.

"Well, you can't spend your entire life on the battlefield, even if you may want to," Ozpin says.

"Yeah, that lesson's been floating around a lot lately," Ruby says, crossing her arms.

"This is a school. Lessons are all over the place here," Velvet notes, trying to make a joke.

"If you think about it, fighting and dancing aren't so different. Two partners, interlocked, heh. Although, one wrong move on the ballroom merely lead to a swollen foot," Ozpin says.

"Or a twisted ankle," Ruby mutters, looking at her feet.

"It's not every day that friends are able to come together like this. Time has a way of testing our bonds, but it's nights like these that can help make them stronger than ever. Nights like these are ones we'll never forget," Ozpin explains to them as they watch everyone else enjoying the night.

Velvet thinks on his words and glances at Ruby, thinking a few outrageous ideas in her mind. She slightly blushes as she goes to say something to her, but then the ballroom doors open up again, getting her attention as she looks back at them.

"You guys are just in time," Yang says from the podium as she looks at the new guests.

The two new guests turn out to be Mercury and Emerald, with Mercury wearing a black tuxedo with gold lines on the edges of the jacket and shoulders, along with a gray vest, a white buttoned up dress shirt, a gold bowtie, and black dress shows. Meanwhile, Emerald is wearing a dark green sleeveless dress, but black under her chest, and going down to above her knees, and black pumps.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Mercury says as they smile innocently at them.

The two walk by, with Mercury winking at Velvet, only to get pulled by his ear by Emerald, who takes him away. Velvet watches them go with mild annoyance, only to feel Ruby wrap her arm around Velvet's, gaining her attention as she sees her pouting.

"Ruby, are you okay?" she asks.

"Yeah…I'm fine," she says, though Velvet can tell she's lying, but leaves it alone.

They move to where the punch bowl is, and watch everyone enjoy themselves. They see Yang dancing with Weiss, who seems to really enjoy the dance with her, Glynda surprisingly accepting a dance from Ironwood, and just enjoying the peaceful event. A moment later, they see Jaune walking over to them, drink in hand.

"Hey, guys. I see you're hiding out by the punch bowl too," he says.

"Yep," Ruby replies, popping the "p".

'Pretty much," Velvet adds.

Jaune closes his eyes, "To the socially awkward," he jokes, gesturing for them to touch their cups together, to which Ruby giggles while Velvet hums as they clank their glasses together.

"Sorry things didn't work out with Weiss," Ruby says.

"Eh, it's fine. Yang's pretty cool, and she's a really good friend to her. Though I must admit, I was surprised to find out that they were dating," he says.

"Actually, they only came as friends. Yang didn't want to pressure Weiss into anything and Weiss accepted. She told me before the dance started. Although, from where I'm standing, it looks like it could amount to something bigger than just friends," Ruby says.

"Well, as long as Weiss is happy, that's fine by me…Say, have you guys seen Pyrrha tonight? I haven't seen her," he asks.

"No, I actually haven't seen her. Velvet, did you see her come in?" Ruby asks her.

Velvet shakes her head, but then looks around and notices the redhead walking up so stairs to the next floor, wearing a long, sleeveless red dress with a slit on one side, and black pumps.

"Wait, I see her. Looks like she's going to the balcony outside," she says, pointing in Pyrrha's direction.

Jaune looks over, and see her, "Hold my punch," he says, handing Ruby his drink before he walks away.

"Hopefully, now he'll realize what's right in front of him," Velvet notes, making Ruby giggle before she sips Jaune's drink, making Velvet gag in disgust.

The two stand in awkward silence while they watch everyone else having a good time. Eventually, they see Yang and Weiss stop dancing and head upstairs to watch over everyone. The two fidget for a short while, not knowing what to do. Velvet glances at Ruby, trying to figure out what to do next now that it was just the two of them.

"So, I guess tomorrow is when we have to get back to work. We do have our first missions tomorrow. Think we'll be ready for that?" Velvet finally asks.

"Yeah. Whatever is waiting for us, I'm sure we'll be ready for anything," she replies, but then they all hear some people laughing and look out to see what the commotion was. "…Except for that," she adds.

"Either I'm finally going crazy, or Yang put something in this punch," Velvet notes, eyes wide.

In front of them stands Jaune, wearing a white sleeveless dress with a light blue bow tied around his waist, white stockings, and regular shoes. He is seen walking over to Pyrrha, who is surprised by what she finds standing behind her. She laughs, but he smiles and offers his hand to her for a dance. She happily accepts and the two, followed by Ren and Nora, move onto the dance floor and begin dancing together in complete sync. They watch in awe at the spectacle.

"Wow, I had no idea they could dance like that," Ruby says.

Meanwhile, Velvet is thinking something else, _"You've got to be kidding me…I'm getting beat by Jaune of all people,"_ she thinks before she glances at Ruby and gets a determined look in her eye. _"Ah, screw it,"_ she mentally decides before putting her drink down on a table. "I'll be right back. Do NOT move from this spot," she says and quickly leaves.

Ruby watches her go, "Wait, what?" she says, confused, but listens to her anyway. She waits and watches as she sees Team JNPR dancing together, Blake and Sun, Yang and Weiss; even Penny, who's wearing a green sleeved dress, doing the robot with an Atlas soldier. Watching them all have fun makes her start to lose her sense of happiness by standing on the sidelines alone. _"Well, I'm not much of a dancer anyway. I guess…Velvet just got bored with all this and decided to leave. She said that she'd be right back, but…"_ she wonders, frowning as she lowers her head.

Yang notices Ruby's expression and walks over to her, with Weiss behind her.

"Hey, Ruby, everything alright?" she asks, concerned.

Ruby looks up at her, "Huh? Oh yeah…I'm fine," she lies unconvincingly.

Yang, however, doesn't buy it, "Come on Ruby, what's the matter? Does this have something to do with Velvet?" she asks, hands on her hips.

"Well…she said that she'd be right back, and she told me not to leave this spot. I hope she's coming back, but…I'm not so sure she will," she admits.

Yang frowns at hearing this, "Look, I'm sure she'll be back. Just wait a few more minutes, okay?" she asks.

"…Okay," Ruby replies.

"Good, and even if she doesn't come back, the rest of the tea, will be here to cheer you up. Weiss, stay here with Ruby. I'll be right back," Yang says and leaves, now sporting an angry expression on her face. _"That's it! No one makes my sister look sad like that. When I get my hands on her…"_ she thinks as she approaches the ballroom doors. However, as soon as she opens them, she stops dead in her tracks, and her eyes widen in shock. "…No…Way…"

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. I thought it would be a little interesting to have Velvet in a tux instead of a dress, given her history. Anyway, the second part of the dance will come out soon enough. Will the rest of the team find out the truth about Velvet's past? Will Velvet come back? What stopped Yang in her tracks? Until next time, please Read and Review.**


	27. Chapter 27: The Dance - Part 2

**Here we are at Chapter 27. Time to keep the dance mojo flowing. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 27. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 27: The Dance – Part 2**

Yang remains motionless, jaw wide open, as someone walks by her, and she turns her head to keep that person in her line of sight. As the mysterious person continues along their path, people nearby notice and turn their heads into the person's direction. They all look on in awe, some gasp, but most blush, both boys and girls. Eventually, the individual ends up walking towards a sullen Ruby, with Weiss standing next to her. Weiss is the only one to notice someone moving towards them and looks back, ending up with the same look as Yang beforehand. However, she soon smiles and nods before she steps away. This, Ruby does notice as she looks to where Weiss went.

"Weiss, where are you going?" she asks.

"Hey…" she hears behind her, and she turns around, only to gawk in awe and nearly dropping her drink.

In front of her stands Velvet Crowe, but this time she's not wearing a tux. Now, she is wearing a beautiful sleeveless black dress with floral designs on the edges of her chest. The dress has a slit going down from her left waist, showing more floral designs in the slit. She is wearing a pair of long, black gloves, even one going over her bandages. Around her neck is a different black choker than what she usually wears, but it matches the dress. She has her hair down completely, but has a pair of gold hairpins holding some of her hair up a bit. Finally, she is wearing black pumps. All-in-all, she looked absolutely stunning.

Ruby quickly blushes, "V-V-Velvet, you look…you look…" she trails off, unable to complete half a sentence.

"It's not really my style, but I figured that tonight I can make an exception, just for you," Velvet replies before extending a hand to Ruby. "Now, we did practice dancing for tonight, and I'd hate for all those lessons to go to waste. So…care for a dance?" she offers.

Ruby, unable to form a single coherent word, places her right hand in Velvet's left. Velvet guides Ruby out onto the dance floor, bystanders moving out of the way, and plenty of sad and/or jealous faces aimed at Ruby, though she pays them no mind. Seeing the opportunity presenting itself, Yang shakes her head out of her stupor and quickly moves over to the DJ booth, taking control of the sound systems and starting up a little slow dance song for couples.

"Alright people, grab a partner, and let's take this nice and slow," she calls out on a microphone.

People gathered onto the dance floor, including Team JNPR, RVWBY, and a few others with their respective partners. Slow, romantic music starts playing and the couples begin moving to the rhythm. Velvet holds Ruby's right hand in her left, and her right hand around her waist, while Ruby's left hand is resting on her shoulder. Ruby has a little trouble at first, mainly from still not being used to walking in high heels, but Velvet is patient with her. She moves a little slower than the others, allowing Ruby to get used to the motions a moment before they find their rhythm and just move with the music.

"So, having a good time now?" Velvet asks.

"Y-Yeah, it's nice…I'm also glad you decided to wear a dress, even if you're not used to it. You're…really pretty," she finally speaks out.

Velvet gains a blush from this, but manages a small smile anyway, "Thanks. I couldn't let you be the only one looking good in a dress. Luckily I found one that was at least my color," she says as she spins Ruby around once before pulling her back in.

The two dance together, eyes focused only on each other, paying no mind to everyone else around them. Velvet leads while Ruby follows, occasionally having to slow down a bit when Ruby loses her balance because of her pumps. Meanwhile, Yang and Weiss occasionally glance at the two while they dance themselves.

"Now I know this dance is going awesome. Who would've thought we'd see Velvet Crowe wearing a dress?" Yang jokes.

"Yes, just no teasing her about it. I'd seriously hate for my date to be sent flying through a window tonight," Weiss replies.

"You know, it is at least a little weird that you would actually call me your 'date'. Not that I dislike it," Yang notes as she twirls Weiss around.

"Well, you'd better get used to it by next time," Weiss says.

This confuses Yang, "Next time? Wait…are you saying…" she trails off.

"Yes, as much as I'm surprised by it, I would like to go on a proper date with you. We are NOT girlfriend and girlfriend…But I would like to see how this plays out," Weiss explains.

Yang can't stop herself from beaming, "Oh, you won't regret it. I'll make sure you have the best date ever!" she declares.

Meanwhile, Ruby and Velvet continue their dance, closely interlocked as they enjoy the closeness between them. Velvet kept her eyes on Ruby's, but they slowly trail down to her lips. Soon enough, the idea of her lips interlocked with Ruby's comes to mind, and she gains a new blush, but quickly puts the idea on hold for now. They continue to dance for a few more minutes until the slow song ends, and the couples leave the dance floor.

"Hey Velvet, do you think we could get some fresh air? It's a little crowded in here," Ruby asks.

Velvet nods, "Sure," she agrees and offers her arm to Ruby, who wraps her arms around it as they walk out of the ballroom. They walk out into the quiet night, enjoying the fresh air and the company of each other. "Well, I think tonight was a nice change of pace from all the fighting and detective work we've been doing recently. I needed a break," Velvet notes. "How are you doing?" she asks.

"I'm fine. Tonight turned out to be really great…I…I was really happy that you came, and that you showed up in a dress…You really do look nice," Ruby notes, blushing.

This makes Velvet blush a little bit, "Well, I'm glad you had a good time," she replies as they stop to enjoy the peace and quiet.

Ruby remains silent for a moment before she takes a deep breath, "Listen, Velvet, there's been something I wanted to talk to you about," she begins.

"Oh, what would that be?" Velvet asks.

Ruby blushes again and starts fidgeting with her fingers, "W-well, I…You see…I've been thinking about some things lately, and after a while, I finally realized something. About You, I mean," she says.

"What do you mean?" Velvet asks. _"Is she…Could she really be…"_

"W-what I want to say is…that I…" Ruby says as she looks up at Velvet, but then her eyes glance behind Velvet and notice something off. "What's that?" she says, pointing behind Velvet.

"Huh?" Velvet asks, confused, but then looks behind her to where Ruby is pointing.

They both see an individual wearing black clothing, what appears to be a young woman, running along the rooftops of the dorms. Immediately getting a bad feeling about this, the two nod to each other and move to investigate. After a few minutes of following the mysterious woman's trail, the two end up at the CCT tower for Beacon. Looking around, they soon notice the unconscious body of an Atlas soldier lying behind some bushes. Concern growing, the two pull out their scrolls and dial some numbers down. A moment later, two rocket-propelled lockers crash into the ground behind them and open up to reveal their weapons, Ruby's scythe and Velvet's gauntlet blade, since her boots are back in her room. They move into the building and find several more Atlas soldiers knocked out and laid out all over the first floor.

"Whoever this chick is, she has to at least be good enough to take down all these soldiers. We'd better be careful Ruby," Velvet says, to which Ruby nods. They move into the elevator and head to the communications room, believing that is where the assailant might be. "Ruby, this woman will know we're coming once the elevator reaches the communications room. Can you distract her so I can sneak in and get the drop on her? If I can do that, we can corner her and find out what's going on," Velvet suggests.

"Yeah, I can do that," Ruby replies. The elevator soon reaches the destined floor, and opens up, but only Ruby walks out, slowly, while Velvet tries to remain hidden inside the elevator as the doors close. "Hello?" she calls out before she trips on her pumps, still having trouble walking in them. She then continues looking. "Is anyone there? Hello?" she calls out again.

The mystery woman then decides to stand up and reveal herself, but she keeps her mask on to hide her identity.

"Excuse me. You know, it's not a masquerade party. So why don't you take off that-," she starts.

However, the woman interrupts her by pulling out one of her containers, swinging it in front of her as the dust inside comes out and hardens into floating glass spikes. She waves her right hand, causing them to shoot towards Ruby. Ruby spins her scythe as a shield, blocking them before she sticks the blade into the floor and starts firing off some shots at her attacker. The woman's clothes glow again as she blocks the shots with her left palm and then spins her body while forming a pair of black glass, curved swords out of thin air. Ruby then pulls out her scythe and points it behind her, pulling the trigger, and propelling her into the air above the woman. The woman backflips out of the way as Ruby slams her scythe into the floor. Next, Ruby's opponent jumps into the air, combining her swords into a bow and conjures up three arrows, all pointed at Ruby. She fires them, but before they can hit Ruby, Velvet suddenly appears in front of Ruby, with her gauntlet blade out, and strikes down all three arrows at once.

"You know, attacking Ruby is not a very good idea," she warns the woman.

Velvet then rushes the woman, who retracts her bow back into its dual blade form, and the two begin a dance of steel. Velvet swings her arm blade around several times, only for each strike to get blocked by the woman's swords. However, at one point, Velvet clashes her blade against the woman's, and has the angle just right to fire off a shot at close range. The woman just barely moves her head in time to avoid the shot, but gets a knee in the stomach that forces her back. When she prepares to fight again, a shot rings out and her right sword gets knocked out of her hand. The woman looks back to see Ruby, with her scythe aimed at her.

"Give up. There's no way out for you," Velvet says, aiming her blade at the woman. At that point, the elevator behind them opens up. Ruby and Velvet look back to see Ironwood walk in, but that gives the woman the opportunity to grab her right blade and turn them into her bow. She fires off an arrow at Velvet's feet, forcing her to jump back and cover Ruby as the arrow explodes. The explosion blocks their view and allows the woman to escape. When the dust clears, they all look to see that the mysterious woman is gone. "Damn, she got away," Velvet says, retracting her blade.

"What is going on in here?" Ironwood demands an answer from them.

Ruby turns to him as she retracts her scythe, "We saw some strange girl running along the rooftops of the dorm buildings, and so we decided to follow her. We saw that she entered the CCT and went in after her. A fight broke out, but then you showed up and she got away," Ruby explains the situation.

"Then it appears we have an intruder in our midst. I need you two to tell me everything that transpired here," he says.

Velvet walks up behind Ruby, putting her hands on her shoulders, "That will come later. We'll tell you, and Professor Ozpin about what happened tonight tomorrow morning. But right now, I'm taking Ruby back with me. It's been a long night for her and she could use some rest. Come on Ruby, let's go," she says and the two start walking away.

"I am ordering you to stay right where you are and tell me every detail of what transpired here!" Ironwood orders them.

Velvet glares at him, "We already did. Some rest may help us remember some details that we missed. I'm thinking ahead…More importantly, the only person I take orders from is my team leader, Ruby Rose. Also, you're not my headmaster, and you're not from Vale. I have no reason to listen to you. Now then, we're leaving. We'll see you and Professor Ozpin tomorrow morning. Goodnight…General," Velvet defiantly counters before leaving with Ruby, leaving Ironwood glaring at her.

The two young women exit the elevator on the first floor and walk out, noticing several of the Atlas soldiers back on their feet, though some are rubbing their heads from pain. When a few were about to stop them, Velvet just gave them all a death glare, freezing them in their tracks, and allowing the two to leave the CCT. Once they left the tower, Velvet calmed down a bit.

Velvet sighs, "Are you okay Ruby?" she asks softly.

Ruby nods, "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for protecting me earlier…Do you…not like General Ironwood?" she asks hesitantly.

Velvet looks ahead, eyes narrowed, "He reminds me a little bit of Artorius. A man in a position of power who believed that his way is the only way to handle things. That his opinion is the only one that matters. Artorius believed that only through reason and nothing else could peace be achieved. From what I can tell about Ironwood, though I don't know him too well, is that he believes that his military can protect everyone. That only HIS forces can get the job done, and that might makes right. I can't say I agree with that kind of thinking. It's too suppressive for my liking," she explains.

"I see…I'm sorry you feel that way…So, what do we do now? The dance is almost over now, and to be honest, I'm a little tired after all this excitement," Ruby asks.

"Well, like I said earlier, we'll talk to Professor Ozpin about this tomorrow. I'm sure Ironwood will inform him about this and then he'll want to hear about it from us. We'll let the team know about what happened as well before then. For now, I think it would be best if we returned to our dorm room to get some rest. It's been a long night," she says before offering her arm to Ruby again. "Shall I escort you home?" she says, smiling.

Ruby returns the smile, "Of course. Lead the way, my fair protector," she replies, wrapping her arms around Velvet's.

The two walk back to their dorm building and after a few minutes, they make it back to their dorm room. With everybody else still at the dance, the room is quiet and empty. Ruby ends up sitting on Velvet's bed along with her, and they both quickly take off their pumps. Ruby breathes a sigh of relief and rubs her feet, finally free of those high heels that made her so uncomfortable. However, she glances over at Velvet, and blushes at seeing some of her back and legs exposed from bending over to take her pumps off.

"Ah, nice to be out of those things. I honestly have no idea how Weiss can fight in shoes like those. I'm just waiting for the time when she'll lose her balance on the battlefield and fall flat on her face. I'm sure Yang would get a kick out of that," she says, but then notices the silence from Ruby and looks at her. "Ruby, what's wrong?" she asks.

Ruby quickly looks away, her lap suddenly becoming far more interesting than her teammate, _"I may not get a better chance at this. I got interrupted last time. Who knows when I'll get another shot,"_ she thinks and takes a moment before taking a deep breath. "Velvet…about before…before we went after that mystery girl. There was something I wanted to tell you," she begins.

"Well…what is it," Velvet asks slowly, trying not to make Ruby uncomfortable.

Ruby hesitates before she finally gains the courage to look Velvet in the eye, "Velvet, I…I like you. I mean REALLY like you," she finally confesses. _"Oh my God, I can't believe I actually said it!"_

Velvet's eyes widen in a silent gasp at hearing such a thing, "Ruby…I…I didn't think you felt that way about me," she says, blushing. _"To think that she would actually have such feelings for me. ME of all people…"_

Ruby quickly looks away, "I know and I'm sorry if that freaks you out. I don't know if you…swing that way as Yang would put it, and even if you did, I'm sure you would be interested in someone that's better looking and more amazing than-," she says until Velvet places her hands on Ruby's cheeks and turns her face to look back at her.

"Ruby…no one is more amazing than you. It's one of the reasons why I…why I really like you too. I really like you, Ruby," Velvet makes her own confession.

Ruby gasps at hearing this, "You mean you like me back? Like, 'like' like me back?" She asks.

Velvet nods, "Yes, and I can't tell you how happy I am at hearing that you feel the same way about me," she replies.

"Does that mean that you'll-," Ruby begins.

"Yes, I'll be your girlfriend," she says and kisses Ruby on the forehead. "But for now, how about we get some sleep. There'll be more time to talk about this tomorrow," Velvet says.

Ruby giggles, "I don't know if I can go to sleep now after hearing all of this," she says.

"I'm sure we'll figure something out," Velvet replies.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. They finally confessed. Now the real fun begins. Also, I just couldn't resist putting Velvet in a dress. I think it's a good way of showing how much she's developed since joining Team RWBY. I got the dress idea from Velvet Crowe's Talespedia page, so just in case, I do not own the dress, but I think Velvet looks amazing in it. Anyway, who was that mystery woman? What awaits Ruby and Velvet? How will Yang take this? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	28. Chapter 28: Field Trip - Part 1

**Here we are at chapter 28. Now Ruby and Velvet begin their relationship as girlfriends. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 28. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Field Trip – Part 1**

During the late night, Yang, Weiss, and Blake return to their dorm room after the dance ended a little after midnight. They were all tired, but felt that they had a great time at the dance. There was just one question on their minds: where did Ruby and Velvet go? Well, they found their answer in their dorm room. When they walked in, they quickly saw Ruby and Velvet, in their pajamas…and sleeping peacefully in Velvet's bed. Each of them had their own reactions to the sight. Blake was smiling at seeing them finally getting together (it sort of reminded her of her…romance…novels). Weiss had a slight blush along with a surprised look on her face. And Yang…well, she reacted as any older sister would react to seeing such a sight. Her eyes turned red and she was about to go nuclear.

"Why that little- that's it. Velvet's dead!" she quietly shouts and gets ready to pounce on Velvet. However, Weiss quickly used her semblance to conjure some glyphs on her limbs, stopping her advance. "Hey, what are you-," Yang begins before Weiss covers her mouth with her hand.

"If you don't calm down this instant, you can kiss that date with me goodbye," she threatens her, and that quickly makes Yang cool it (no pun intended) as she looks on with shock and betrayal. "Now, from the looks of things, they didn't do anything serious. Their pajamas are on and their asleep. There is no mess, and their dresses are put away properly. Besides, you were the one who wanted them to get together in the first place, and now it looks like that may very well be the case. They were probably just tired from the dance and came back to get some rest, and ended up sleeping in the same bed. It is nothing serious. Not to mention the fact that the last time we found them like this, you were enjoying it. Let them get some sleep and let's get ready for bed as well, okay?" Weiss says. Yang looks at her for a moment before she takes a deep breath and calms down, her eyes returning to their normal color. Weiss then releases her glyphs, freeing Yang. "Good, now let's head in," Weiss suggests.

"Um, guys," Blake gets their attention and points at Velvet's bed.

They both look and see Velvet, with one eye open, glaring at them. The two smile nervously and wave at her. Velvet's response is to narrow her eye at them, a silent message that says 'shut up and go to sleep. Wake Ruby up, and you're dead'. They quickly nod and leave to get changed and go to sleep. Velvet, meanwhile, pulls Ruby closer to her, who doesn't mind at all, and soon enough falls back asleep.

 _"Tomorrow's going to be a long day,"_ Velvet thinks.

…

The next morning, Ruby wakes up to find herself in Velvet's arms, her new girlfriend. She smiled at this fact, but then noticed some movement behind her and glances back to see the rest of her team, waking up and taking turns getting changed in the bathroom. Blake glances at her and gives her a knowing smile. Realizing that they found them sleeping in the same bed last night, Ruby's face gets as red as her cloak out of embarrassment. But finds herself unable to get out or Velvet's arms. The position was too good to leave. Eventually, Velvet wakes up and releases Ruby with a yawn, and then they get changed after the others finish before them.

"Alright, now that we're all dressed, why don't you two tell us what happened to you last night? And don't leave any details out," Yang says, sitting on Blake's bunk with the Faunus girl.

"We figured you guys came back here after you left the dance. We leave anything out?" Blake asks.

"Well, you kind of missed a few things that happened last night," Ruby says, rubbing her head as she sits next to Velvet on Velvet's bed.

Yang then gets 'big-sister' serious, "Like what?" she asks accusingly.

"Like fighting some intruder in the CCT last night," Velvet blurts out.

This gets their attention, "Wait, what? What do you mean?" Weiss asks, sitting on her bunk.

"Well, after we left the dance for some fresh air, we noticed some woman wearing black clothing and a mask running along the dorm rooftops. We followed her to the CCT, and fought against her in the communications room. We might have stopped her, but then Ironwood shows up, and his appearance distracted us long enough for the woman to escape. That's basically what happened," Velvet explains.

"Someone infiltrated the tower. Why would they go there? And to do what exactly?" Weiss asks.

"We don't know. She never said anything to us. But she was good. Real good," Ruby says.

"You two weren't hurt, were you?" Yang asks.

"No, we were fine," Ruby says.

"Okay, but what happened after that?" Blake asks.

"Well, the general wanted an explanation on what happened. We told him, but it wasn't enough for him. However, I wanted to take Ruby home, and basically told him to shove it. I'm sure he's already told Professor Ozpin about what happened, and they'll want to hear about it from us later today. Anyway, after that, we came back here, and we…went to bed," Velvet explains, scratching her cheek at the last comment.

Weiss gives them a knowing look, "Anything else you want to add? It certainly seemed like something else happened last night, if finding the two of you sleeping in the same bed is any indication," Weiss asks, smirking.

Ruby and Velvet blush and look away from the others, "Well, you see we…well we…" Ruby trails off, playing with her index fingers.

"We confessed our feelings for each other, and now we're officially a couple," Velvet admits, seeing no way out of this.

Everything remains quiet, until…

"FINALLY! Geez, it took you two long enough to finally get together!" Yang shouts.

"YANG!" Ruby pouts, blushing madly.

"It looked like you were against the idea last night when you tried to wake us up with your fist," Velvet notes.

"Yang, you almost did what?!" Ruby yells.

"I'm sorry! I thought you guys did the deed. My bad," Yang apologizes.

"What do you mean 'did the deed'?" Ruby innocently asks.

"Don't worry about that," Blake quickly shuts her off.

"Yeah, don't you have to go to Professor Ozpin's office? I'm sure he'll want to hear about what happened last night," Weiss asks.

Just then, the announcements came on, "Would Ruby Rose and Velvet Crowe please report to Professor Ozpin's office," they hear Goodwitch's voice say.

"Well, we'd better get going. We'll see you guys later," Ruby says as she and Velvet leave the room.

"Let's just hope they don't end up doing anything…mature…at least until Ruby is older," Blake says.

"You mean like what all those ninja people do in your smut books?" Yang jokes.

"YANG!" Blake yells as she goes to try and kill the laughing blonde.

…

Meanwhile, in Ozpin's office, with Professor Ozpin sitting in his chair, accompanied by Professor Glynda Goodwitch and General Ironwood.

"…They were here. Ozpin, they were HERE!" Ironwood almost shout while slamming his fist on Ozpin's desk while Ozpin just rests his head in his hands.

"We are very much aware of that. Thank you, James," Glynda retorts.

"Fantastic! You're aware," Ironwood sarcastically replies. "Now are we going to do something about it or should we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us?" Ironwood spitefully asks.

Ozpin then hears a beeping on his desk and stands, "Come in," he says.

The doors open to reveal Ruby and Velvet entering the room.

"You asked for us?" Velvet asks.

"Ah, sorry it took so long. Someone accidently hit all of the buttons on the elevator on the way up here," Ruby apologizes before looking around. "It wasn't me," she defends herself as she and Velvet walk up to the teachers.

"Thank you for coming, Ruby, Velvet. How are you two feeling?" Ozpin asks.

"I've been through worse," Velvet shrugs her shoulders.

"Okay, I guess. I'd feel better if my bad-guy catching record wasn't 0-for-3," Ruby says, showing three fingers. But the teachers just give them serious, bland, looks. "Okay, so that's the tone we're going for. Got it," she mutters while rubbing her head.

"Ruby, I feel it's appropriate that I-," Ironwood begins as he approaches Ruby, only for Velvet to stand protectively in front of Ruby. "Is there a problem, Miss Crowe?" Ironwood asks, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Aside from the fact that YOU'RE here, no, no problem," Velvet counters.

"You need to learn to respect you're elders, young lady," Ironwood warns her.

"Respect has to be earned, and you've done nothing to earn mine. I'll be honest, I don't like you, Ironwood. So as long as I'm here, you'll go nowhere near Ruby, got it?" Velvet retorts.

"That's enough, both of you. We have more pressing matters to attend to, if you please," Ozpin says, getting them both to calm down as Ironwood walks away and the two girls look at the headmaster. "Now then, the general here has already informed us of the events that…transpired last night. But now that you two have rested, we were wondering if you had anything to add," Ozpin says.

Glynda then steps up, "Was anyone else with her? Did she look familiar to you at all?" Goodwitch asks.

Ruby begins, "I…I don't know. She was wearing a mask, and she never said anything to me. But I know she fought with glass. I don't think that was her semblance though. Her clothing lit up whenever she attacked," Ruby explains.

"This was the first time I fought someone like that. All's I can say, is she's good, and smart. Not to mention that she pissed me off," Velvet adds.

"Save for the glass, that sounds like the woman I fought the night I met Ruby," Goodwitch says.

"Wait, you fought that woman before?!" Velvet asks Ruby, who nods. "You weren't hurt too badly were you?" she asks, concerned about her girlfriend.

"I didn't get hurt, Velvet. Luckily, Professor Goodwitch showed up in time and saved me," Ruby says.

"Imbedding dust into clothing is an age-old technique, it could've been anyone," Ironwood says.

"Wait, you think this girl's connected to Torchwick and the White Fang?" Ruby inquires.

"I wouldn't throw that idea out," Velvet says.

"It's possible…" Opzin begins, hand on his chin while Ruby looks off to the side. "…But we still lack the required evidence to link the two together," Ozpin says as he and Ironwood look at each other.

"Actually, I…I think I remember her saying something about a hideout or something, in the southeast, just outside the kingdom," Ruby says, pointing her thumb behind her, while Velvet raises one eyebrow at her.

"Interesting…" Ozpin says, smiling at them for telling him that.

"I thought you said that the intruder never-," Goodwitch begins as Ozpin walks up beside her.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Ruby and Velvet. Why don't you two go and spend some time with your team. You both have a big day ahead of you," Ozpin interrupts her.

"Anytime," Ruby says as she turns and begins to walks away.

"See you around," Velvet adds as she follows her.

"And Miss Rose, Miss Crowe," Ozpin begins, getting their attention. "Please try and be…discrete about this matter," Ozpin tells them.

"Yes sir," Ruby replies.

"Sure," Velvet says and then the two leave. When the elevator doors close, Velvet turns to Ruby. "You sure it was a good idea to tell them about the hideout?" she asks.

"I think we can trust Professor Ozpin. He's always been a big help to me. Why, you think it was a bad idea?" Ruby asks.

Velvet shakes her head, "Whatever you feel is right, I'll support you, no matter what," she says, smiling.

Ruby smiles back and then gives Velvet a kiss on the cheek, making them both blush. When the elevator stops, Velvet takes a chance to hold Ruby's hand, making them blush a little more as they walk back to their dorm, hand-in-hand. A few minutes later, they open up their door…only to find Yang and Blake on the ground, with Yang holding Blake's arms as the cat girl tries to slit her throat with her sword. Meanwhile, Weiss watches with indifference at the spectacle. However, they eventually notice that Ruby and Velvet have returned.

"So, uh…what happened?" Yang asks.

"That's what I want to know?" Velvet retorts flatly. "Let me guess, Blake's secret stash?" Velvet asks, making Blake blush. "I thought so. I told you they would've eventually found them," she says.

"It's appalling that you'd be into such…distasteful novels, Blake," Weiss criticizes her.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ruby asks, not getting it.

"NOTHING!" Blake yells.

…

Back in Professor Ozpin's office, the three teachers have just finished their conversation regarding last night's events, and the information that Ruby and Velvet gave them.

"…Fine, I'll hold…for now. But I'll be having my troops on standby should something happen," Ironwood says as he prepares to leave. "By the way Ozpin, you should really keep a tighter leash on your students. Velvet Crowe's lack of respect for authority is a problem," he notes.

"You forget one important fact, James. This is MY school. I don't pressure my students into doing something they may not want to do, unlike how you run your school. Miss Crowe has been through much in her life. I want to help her, just like I want to help all my students, but I can't accomplish that if they don't trust me," Ozpin explains.

Ironwood grunts, "Hmph, what could have been so bad that she'd act like this?" he asks.

"I don't know. But I know she won't tell me if I try to force it out of her. Many of my students have gone through hard times to get to this point. Harsher times await them in the future, but that doesn't mean every single moment of their lives have to be dark. However, I have come to trust her, just like with the rest of my students. Perhaps, you should give it a try," Ozpin says.

Ironwood just narrows his eyes at Ozpin for a moment before he sighs and leaves.

…

Back in Team RVWBY's dorm, Ruby and Velvet have just finished relaying what happened in Ozpin's office to them.

"That was a risky move," Weiss says, crossing her arms.

"No…I think you handled it well," Blake supports Ruby's decision.

"You did what you thought was right Ruby. I'm sure it won't be so bad," Velvet adds.

"I hope so," Ruby says while Yang has a supportive hand on her left shoulder.

"I'm sure everything will be alright Ruby," Yang comforts her. "Oh! I know what will cheer you up!" Yang gets an idea and walks over to one of their desks.

"What's that?" Ruby asks as everyone turns to Yang.

"I don't know yet. Dad sent it to us. I thought we could open it up together," Yang says, holding a cylinder-shaped package in her left hand.

"Oh, something from home!" Ruby squeals.

Using her semblance, she bolts over to Yang and jumps onto her back, wrapping her legs around her waist. She starts quickly waving her hands at the package while Yang holds it out of her reach. A moment later, some grayish-black cylinder-shaped object falls out of the package as Ruby stops trying to grab it and holds onto Yang as everyone looks down at the package. The object starts BOUNCING up and down for a moment before expanding into a four-legged, furry creature. Everyone looks down more closely at it with mixed expressions of confusion, awe, or fear. The object turns out to be…a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, with a black-headed- tricolor coat, gray eyes, a short, stubby tail, and a white stomach. The corgi then barks twice at them. Yang and Ruby jolt up with joy, Blake and Weiss reel back in terror, and Velvet jumps back in shock.

"ZWEI!" Ruby happily calls out the dog's name, indicating she knows it.

"He sent a DOG?!" Blake exclaims.

"In the MAIL?!" Weiss adds.

"And I thought Magilou did some crazy magic tricks like this," Velvet mutters.

"Oh, he does stuff like this all the time," Yang explains while Ruby is holding Zwei in her arms like a baby as it lovingly licks her face.

"Your father or your dog?" Blake ask…as she hides on top of Ruby's bed.

"If you ask me, I think it's a bit of both," Velvet notes. However, Zwei quickly looks at her, and then jumps out of Ruby's arms, and onto Velvet as he tries to lick her face while she holds him back. "Get off of me! I don't need your drool all over me!" she yells.

"Aw, he missed you," Yang teases her.

Weiss leans in closer to the dog, "Are you telling me, that this mangy…" Weiss begins as she scowls at the dog, who notices her and stops trying to lick Velvet and looks back at Weiss. "Drooling…" he licks his nose as they keep staring. "Mutt...Is going to wiv with us foreva?! Oh, yes he is! Yes he is! Oh isn't he adorable? Ah! Ah!" Weiss suddenly starts making baby talk to Zwei as she pets his nose.

"Fine, you hold him," Velvet says as she tosses the dog to Weiss, who happily catches and hugs him.

"Please keep it away from my belongings," Blake says as she sits on Ruby's bed as far away from Zwei as she can.

Then, the intercoms come one, "Would all first year students please report to the amphitheater," they hear Glynda's voice on the other end.

"Well, we can't exactly leave him here while we're gone for a week," Weiss notes as Zwei jumps out of her arms and immediately runs up to Weiss's bed, trying to get to Blake, who cringes back like a cat.

Yang then pulls out a letter from the package, "Look, there's a letter. 'Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care off. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang," Yang reads.

Zwei runs over to her and she points the opening of the package over him, and suddenly a large number of cans of dog food fall out of the package, burying Zwei until his head pops out.

"Where did all of that come from?" Velvet asks as she hunches over in shock.

"What is he supposed to do with that?" Weiss asks.

Yang shakes the package, and out comes a can opener that falls on Zwei's head, who continues panting with his tongue out like nothing's wrong.

"Don't tell me he actually knows how to use a can opener?" Velvet asks, but gets no answer.

Yang then tosses the package and the letter away, "Welp, that settles it. Come on guys, Zwei will be here when we get back," Yang says as she leaves the room.

Weiss then walks around Zwei, "Oh, I'll miss you so much! We're going to be best friends! I can't wait to see you again! Yeah, you're such a…" Weiss makes baby talk to Zwei as she pets him and leaves while Blake avoids Zwei by jumping off Ruby's bed and the desk to quickly run out of the room.

"Let's get going, Ruby," Velvet says as she leaves too.

However, Ruby just looks at Zwei, humming in thought for a moment before gasping as she gets an idea and smiles.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Not much going on other than the usual family stuff with Ruby, Velvet, and Yang. Some may wonder why I set it up with Velvet not liking Ironwood. One, because from what I read, he and Artorius are somewhat alike. Two, because I REALLY don't like him. Anyway, what awaits Ruby, Velvet, and the gang in the near future? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	29. Chapter 29: Field Trip - Part 2

**Here we are at Chapter 29. It's field trip time. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 29. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 29: Field Trip – Part 2**

A few minutes later, the team enters the amphitheater, although Ruby is now carrying a big backpack on her back with the school logo on it. The large room has the students of the four academies separate into four sections. From left to right of the stage, it's the students from Mistral, then Atlas, then Vacuo, and finally Vale. Ruby places her new bag with a pile of other bags before joining her team, with Team JNPR standing behind them.

"Quiet. Quiet please. Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin," Goodwitch says while on stage before leaving and then Ozpin steps up to the microphone.

"…Today we stand together, united. Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo, Vale. The four kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell, or who traded with who, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression. And as you are well aware, that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: color. It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither would the generations to come. And it was a trend that is held to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united, but this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today while the rest of the world celebrates peace, huntsmen and huntresses will work to uphold it. As first-year students, you'll be tasked with shadowing a professional huntsmen or huntress on a mission," Ozpin explains as screens pop up on the sides of the amphitheater, showcasing the various missions the students may take. "Some of you may be taken out of the kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best," Ozpin ends his speech and leaves the stage as the audience applauds him.

The students begin separating to choose their missions for the week. Meanwhile, Team RVWBY's members get together.

"This is perfect! All we have to do is shadow a huntsmen working in the southeast," Ruby says.

"Yeah, we'll follow them around by day and give them the slip at night," Yang adds.

"Assuming we can sneak our way out of the watchful eyes of an experienced huntsmen," Velvet deadpans.

"Hey, we can be sneaky," Yang retorts.

"Let's check search and destroy," Weiss suggests.

Team RVWBY heads to one screen that has a list of missions classified as "Search and Destroy" missions.

"Here we go. Quadrant 5 needs Grimm cleared out," Ruby says, looking at the screen.

"Well, it's in the southeast," Blake says.

"Sounds perfect," Yang adds.

"Guess that saves us the trouble of getting there," Velvet says.

Ruby then tries to register her team for the search and destroy mission, typing the team name in on the screen, but the screen then shows "mission unavailable for first-year students," showing she was rejected.

"Wonderful," Weiss sarcastically says, hands on her hips.

"Any other ideas?" Blake asks.

"We MAIL ourselves there," Ruby suggests.

"Ruby, you know I like you, but that sounds like a really bad and unrealistic idea," Velvet shoots Ruby's plan down.

"Well, that's one option…" they hear a voice and turn to their left to see Professor Ozpin walking up to them. "Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first-year students," Ozpin explains before he smiles at them. "It seems that particular region is rather popular. In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that the five of you will make your way there no matter which jobs you choose," Ozpin says as Yang, Blake, and Weiss glare at Ruby who just nervously rubs her head, and Velvet who just crosses her arms, not bothered by their gazes.

"Whatever makes you say that?" Ruby asks, sounding innocent.

"I'm still curious as to how you all found yourselves at the docks last semester. I'm interested to know how you really learned about a 'hideout' in the southeast. And I certainly wonder why witnesses reported robots and rose petals in a dance club some time ago," Ozpin says, feigning the fact that he knows about their activities.

"Dance club? Ruby, what's he talking about?" Velvet asks Ruby.

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all," Ruby quickly plays it off, but that just makes Velvet raise an eyebrow at her in slight suspicion.

"I doubt I'll ever find the exact answers I'm looking for, so how about this? Instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them?" Ozpin says before typing on his scroll.

The screen then registers Team RVWBY for the search and destroy mission in the southeast, much to the joy of the team as they smile at each other before turning back to Ozpin.

"We won't let you down. Thank you Professor," Ruby thanks him.

"Do not thank me for this. Teamwork and persistence have carried you far, but you must understand, the things that await you beyond the protection of the kingdom will not care. Stay close to your huntsmen at all times, and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon if he finds your skills unsatisfactory," Ozpin says and then walks away while the five girls look at each other with concern. Ozpin then leans back to them. "Good luck," he says before leaving.

A few minutes later, the team is seen leaving the amphitheater and heading towards the landing platforms in front of the school.

"That wasn't exactly uplifting," Yang mentions.

"But it's the truth," Blake adds.

"Ozpin has a point. Whatever we face out there is not going to give a damn about us. The Grimm definitely won't care and whoever's behind all this chaos in Vale sure as Hell won't either," Velvet says.

"It's gonna be tough, but I know we can do it," Ruby says, trying to get their spirits up.

As their walking, a random student walks by Ruby, "Hey, Team CFVY is back!" he says.

They look ahead to see a bunch of students gathering to see the second-year team, Team CFVY, walking by, finally returning from their mission. They see Coco and Velvet, who is now in her combat attire. Velvet's combat attire consists of a short, long-sleeved brown jacket with a gold zipper, brown pants, and black leggings with golden details. She us wearing a black, semi-translucent undershirt beneath her jacket, along with golden spaulders and vambraces on both arms, as well as a similar belt. The top of her leggings are edged with a similar band, and her heels and toes are likewise protected.

Behind Velvet is Yatsuhashi. Yatsuhashi is a tall, athletic-looking young man with shaved-short black hair, and tanned skin, wearing mostly pale-green and brown attire. He is wearing a long short-sleeved robe, which he is wearing on one shoulder over a black muscle shirt. The robe is fastened at the waist by a leather armored belt with two pouches on it. He is also wearing brown pants and black-and-green boots. His left arm bears a 5-layer sode which extends up past his shoulder. He has a padded brown strap slung over his shoulder, and is also wearing a pair of bracers and a pair of black gloves with green plates on the back. On his back is his weapon, a large greatsword twice the length of his torso and being nearly as tall as himself. The handle has ample length for wielding it with two hands. The blade is dual-edged and two-toned; the flat being a rusty brown copper while the edges appear to have a golden sheen. The blade is slightly curved, ending in a revered barb-like hook.

Walking in front of Coco is the fourth member of the team, Fox Alistair. Fox is a teenage boy with dark skin and dark, messy copper hair that has a long fringe and a cowlick. He is wearing a sleeveless, muted orange zipper vest with black lining and a high collar, a pair of black jeans, and brown, laced shoes. His eyes appear to be pure white, signifying that he may be blind. His arms are covered in scars, and has a vertical scar on his lip. He is also wearing a pair of long black gloves, and several pouches attached to his belt. On his arms are a pair of bronze-colored blades, with its sharpened edges from the midsection to the tip being black, attached to gauntlets that he wears across his arms. The weapons have barrels at the front and the triggers work as the handles.

While Team CFVY walks by, Team RVWBY walks up to them.

"Velvet, are you okay?" Blake asks out of concern, making Velvet turn to her.

"I'm fine. I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me," she answers as Velvet walks forward. "Oh, hello Velvet. It's nice to see that you're doing okay," she greets her.

"It's good to see you too, Velvet. Glad to see you guys all made it back safe and sound," Velvet replies.

Weiss then comes up, "Your mission was supposed to end a week ago. What happened?" she asks as the others walk up.

"N-nothing happened. It was just…there were just so many," she replies, getting more serious. "Oh but don't worry. You first-years are just shadowing huntsmen, so you should be fine," she says, trying to make their jobs sound less dangerous.

"Rrriiiiiight," Yang says, not feeling convinced.

"I should go. Be safe, okay," she says, waving goodbye as she leaves.

The members of the team look at each other.

"We can do this. We've never backed down before, and we're not going to start now," Ruby encourages them.

"Right," Blake agrees.

"I'm with you Ruby. All the way," Velvet supports her girlfriend.

"Besides, it won't only be us out there. We'll be fighting alongside a genuine huntsman!" Ruby says with glee.

"Yeah!" Yang says.

A few minutes later, the team members suddenly go from feeling confident, to feeling dread. Ruby and Yang have looks that say "oh no" written on them, Weiss eyes' are as big as baseballs, Blake is hunched over in dissatisfaction, and Velvet looks like she's about to puke.

"Why hello there, girls," to their horror, the huntsman they're shadowing…is Dr. Oobleck, who is wearing a long brown great coat, khaki buttoned up safari shirt, a pith helmet, and a large backpack. "Who's ready to fight for their lives?!" he asks with joy in his voice.

" _It's official, we're all gonna die,"_ Velvet thinks with displeasure.

"Professor Oobleck?" Weiss questions, still reeling from the sight in front of her.

Dr. Oobleck starts walking back and forth in front of them, "Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary girls, seeing as you've opted to shadow a huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you we will not be establishing a single base of operations, rather we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland and making camp at any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I've packed all of our essentials myself, plotted the air course, and readied the airship, and…" he quickly speaks before getting in Weiss' face. "It's 'Dr.' Oobleck. I didn't earn the PhD for fun, thank you very much!" he corrects her before zooming away from her face.

"Uh…" Weiss trails off, not sure how to respond to that.

"I think Professor Ozpin set this up as some sort of sick joke," Velvet mutters.

"Come now children! According to my schedule, we are already three minutes behind…schedule!" he says before zipping away to the bullhead airship on the platform in front of them.

"Well, alright then. Looks like we're going to save the world with Dr. Oobleck-okay, yeah, when you say it out loud, it sounds worse," Ruby admits as everyone hangs their heads in displeasure.

"Suddenly, this 'save the world' business seems a lot less exciting," Velvet groans.

"Save the world!" they hear behind them and they all turn around to see Team JNPR walking up to them, the voice belonging to Nora. "You're going on world saving missions without us?! I'm hurt, sad, maybe a little hungry…" Nora dramatically cries, her stomach grumbling. "That last one's not your fault though…Ren," Nora says, throwing an accusing glare at Ren who just crosses his arms and looks away.

"Sounds exciting. Where're you going?" Jaune asks.

"Oh, just outside the kingdom," Ruby replies.

"Hey, so are we," Nora says.

"Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village," Pyrrha adds.

"We set out tomorrow," Ren says.

"Then you can party with us tonight," Neptune says as he and Sun join the two teams. "We're shadowing a crime specialist. All inner-city detective stuff. We get junior badges," Neptune says, looking cool, which make Jaune look on in awe with stars in his eyes.

"We normally go to the city with you guys, which means stuff's always exploding and junk. So, we thought this might be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's, you know, normal," Sun explains.

"You make it sound like we INTENTIONALLY try to blow the city up," Velvet sarcastically replies.

"Well-," Ruby begins.

"Four minutes, ladies and gentlemen," Oobleck interrupts her from the airship, making Ruby cringe and everyone else look back.

Everyone then just gives each other looks, ranging from nervous smiles to calm expressions.

"Well, uh, wish us luck," Ruby says and then everyone depart and head to their respective areas.

…

Back in his office, Professor Ozpin watches as Team RVWBY boarded the bullhead airship along with Dr. Oobleck and then takes off into the skies away from the school. At that moment, Professor Goodwitch walks into his office.

"You want to explain to me why you allowed a first-year team to take on a highly dangerous search and destroy mission in the southeast, the very same area where Miss Rose said that mystery woman said her hideout was located?" she asks him, though he makes no attempt to turn around to face her.

Ozpin continues to calmly look out the window, "Even if I didn't allow them to go, they would found a way to get there anyway. There was little I could do to stop them," he replies.

"But Professor Ozpin, we can't allow inexperienced children to take on this problem. They're not ready, and more importantly, this is our mission," she retorts.

At this point, Ozpin finally turns around to face Goodwitch, "Do you really think the members of Team RVWBY will be satisfied with that kind of answer? I didn't want them involved in this as much as you did, but the fact remains that they are getting involved in their own way now. Frankly, they've been involved since they fought against Roman Torchwick at the docks last semester. In a way, it's better for them to get involved now than later. If this situation gets worse, then no matter what we do, we won't be able to keep what we know away from them. Just sitting idly by is no longer good enough for them now. They want to help, to solve this mystery, and to fix this problem, just like any true huntresses would. You said that they had to be the defenders of the world, well, that's exactly what they're doing," he explains.

"And what about Miss Crowe? We still know nothing about her. Haven't you been able to find anything related to her, or even to her abilities?" Glynda asks, growing more concerned.

"Unfortunately, no, I've found nothing. It's obvious her demon claw isn't her semblance, though her semblance came from it. All the stories, legends, and tales I've looked up have mentioned nothing related to her abilities. It is definitely a mystery," he notes.

"Look, I know she said that she came here to protect Miss Rose, but what if she lied about that? What she said about Ruby's mother still makes no sense to me. As far as I know, the night we met Velvet Crowe is the first time the two have encountered each other. She may be after Ruby for some reason," Glynda says.

"On that, I wholeheartedly disagree with you," Ozpin retorts.

"What do you mean?" Glynda asks.

"When Velvet was here, and she threatened to kill me if I ever did anything that would put Miss Rose in unnecessary danger, I saw it in her eyes. They were eyes that spoke resolve, determination, and honesty. If anything, WE are more likely to harm Ruby than Velvet. I know for a fact that she will NEVER harm Ruby. And that fact alone puts my mind at ease with those two," he replies as he turns around to look out the window again. "Glynda, you've trusted me before. Please…trust me now," he asks.

Glynda sighs, "You know I will always trust you, Professor Ozpin," she says.

Ozpin continues to look out the window, _"Velvet Crowe is definitely an unknown factor in all this. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that she came here from…another world…"_ he thinks as his eyes begin to widen a little.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Team RVWBY begins their first mission. And Ozpin is starting to put the pieces together on Velvet. What awaits Team RVWBY beyond the kingdom's walls? Will Ozpin figure out Velvet's secret? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	30. Chapter 30: Mountain Glenn

**Here we are at Chapter 30. A little shout out to all who have been following my story, thank you for your support. Let's see how the team handles themselves beyond the safety of the kingdom's walls. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's Chapter 30. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 30: Mountain Glenn**

Team RVWBY, along with Dr. Oobleck, are inside the airship, holding onto cables hanging above them as the ship flies over a forested region in the southeast section outside the kingdom. The students look out the side of the airship, watching the forest go by as they make their way to their destination. At one point, the airship hits a little turbulence, causing it to shake somewhat. Ruby loses her footing and almost loses her grip on her cable, but luckily, Velvet catches her and keeps her steady, something the little redhead is thankful for as she smiles at Velvet. After that, they all keep a tighter hold on their cables.

"…I guess I just never saw you as much of a fighter," Yang says to Oobleck.

"I admit I fancy myself more of an intellectual, but I can assure you, as a huntsman, I've had my fair share of tussles," Oobleck says, being a little modest.

"Like the mushroom?" Ruby asks, scratching her head.

"Those are truffles, Ruby," Velvet corrects her.

"Like the sprout?" Ruby asks again, still confused.

"And those are Brussels," Velvet corrects her again.

"And besides, given my expertise in the field of history as well as my dabbling's in the archeological surveys, our dear headmaster saw it fit to assign me to this particular…assignment," Oobleck says.

"What does history have to do with this?" Weiss asks.

"Why, what a preposterous question, you silly girl! Why history is the backbone of our very society. AND THE LIVER!...And probably the kidneys if I were to wager," Oobleck says, hand now on his chin.

"Not sure if I'd go that far when it comes to the value of history, but that's just me," Velvet notes.

"Anyway, the southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves, BUT, it is also the location to one of the kingdom's greatest failures," Oobleck speaks.

"Mountain Glenn," Ruby answers, making Oobleck and Weiss look at her.

"That's right, it was an expansion of Vale…but in the end, it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city," Yang continues.

"Correct! And now it stands abandoned, as a dark reminder," Oobleck adds.

"And a likely place for a hideout," Blake says.

"Let's see, abandoned city, far from the kingdom, an area known for Grimm activity. If I were some kind of crime group trying to stay hidden, I'd go there," Velvet adds.

Oobleck fixes his glasses and smiles, "Precisely," he says.

After a while longer, the airship finally reaches the destroyed remains of Mountain Glenn. Velvet takes a look out the side of the airship and sees just how bad the abandoned settlement looks. Buildings destroyed, empty streets, and no signs of human or Faunus life. She has seen destroyed villages back home, but never something as bad as this.

" _Whatever swept through here wanted to make sure absolutely NOTHING survived,"_ she mentally notes.

The airship then hovers over an empty street, and the group jump out of the airship. Once they land, the members of Team RVWBY draw their weapons, but find no opposition in the area, for now anyway. Oobleck drops behind them, drinking his signature thermos.

"Ladies, you still may be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as huntresses has begun. From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say. Do you understand?" Oobleck asks, to which the girls all nod before Oobleck notices Ruby's backpack. "Ruby!" he yells, making her flinch back. "I thought I told you to leave all you bags back at school," he reminds her.

"But, uh, you hadn't told us to listen to you yet. So I didn't," Ruby makes a half-truth.

"She's not wrong," Oobleck mutters, hand on his chin, while everyone else just gives him a deadpan look. "Very well Ruby, leave your bag here. We can pick it up upon our return," he commands.

"But, I, wha-," Ruby stutters.

"Young lady, what in the world could you possibly have in that bag that can be so important to bring it wit-," Oobleck begins to question as suddenly Ruby's dog, Zwei, pops his head out from the bag.

"Get back in the bag," Ruby whispers to Zwei, who just barks back.

"Ruby, why would you bring Zwei? He could get killed out here," Velvet says, not understanding why her girlfriend would do something so careless.

"We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle, teeming with death and hostility, and you brought…a dog," Oobleck inquires, becoming more serious.

"I, uh…" Ruby stutters, stepping back.

"GENIUS!" Oobleck proclaims.

Everyone just look at Ruby, who shrugs her shoulders, until Oobleck zooms by, taking Zwei, and making Ruby spin and fall to the ground.

"Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for a hunt such as ours!" Oobleck quickly shouts for joy while spinning and holding Zwei high in the air, who just barks back in response.

"…I'm a genius," Ruby says, feeling proud of herself, while everyone else just facepalms.

"Yeah, something like that," Velvet mutters.

"So, what are your orders Dr.?" Blake asks.

"Ah, yes, straight to the chase. I like it!" Oobleck replies, dropping Zwei, only for said canine to then jump up and try to lick Velvet's face, much to her annoyance. "As you've been informed, the southeast area has been marked as a recent hotspot for Grimm activity. Now, there are several possible explanations for this behavior. One of which being…Grimm," he says.

"Uh, what?" Ruby asks as everyone just got confused, while she takes Zwei away from Velvet.

"Grimm…A Creature of Grimm approximately one hundred yards from us, at this very moment," he answers.

"WHAT?!" Yang shouts as they all look behind them.

Far behind them is a lone Beowolf, sniffing the ground as if it is searching for something. Immediately, the two teams pulls out their weapons, ready to kill it, but Oobleck stops them.

"Stop!" he tells them.

"Give us one good reason," Velvet asks.

"There are a number of reasons why a Grimm would congregate in this particular area. The most likely of which will be their attraction to negativity. Sadness, envy, loneliness, hatred, all qualities that are likely held by our hidden group harboring ill intent," he explains as they look back to the Beowolf.

"How long do we wait?" Yang asks, hands on her hips.

"It's uncertain. Hours, days, weeks. Why, lone Grimm have been known to stay isolated from the pack for months-and there's the whole pack," Oobleck interrupts himself as the rest of the Beowolf pack join the first one.

"What?" Weiss asks.

"And now they've seen us," he says.

"WHAT?!" Weiss shrieks.

"AND NOW THEY'VE SEEN US!" Oobleck repeats, right into Weiss' right ear.

"I take it tracking is out of the question?" Ruby asks.

"I highly doubt they want to cooperate with us," Velvet notes.

"An accurate assumption, yes," he replies.

"What's the plan then?" Yang asks as the Grimm start charging in at them.

"Show me what you're capable of," Oobleck says.

"Cover your ears, Zwei!" Ruby tells Zwei as she stabs her scythe into the ground, preparing to fire while the dog covers his ears with his paws.

The pack of Beowolves charge at the group. Yang runs straight towards one Grimm and when they get close, she throws a hard right punch, taking it out. Meanwhile, Weiss skates across the ground, slashing her way through a few Beowolves and ends the advance by impaling another Beowolf through its skull with her rapier. She then flips over another Grimm, swinging her sword from above and killing it. When she lands, a lone Beowolf tries to attack her from behind, but a sudden shot from out of nowhere takes it out. Weiss appears surprised and looks to her right to see Yang, left arm outstretched. Yang smiles and winks at Weiss, making her blush but she refocuses on the fight, though she had a small smile on her face. Blake stands idle as a group of Beowolves run at her from all sides. However, when they get close, she uses her semblance and jumps up, slicing one Grimm in half. She then goes and kills another Grimm with her sword. She then fires of her pistol, killing two more. The last two; she takes out by beheading the both of them with a flip through the air.

Meanwhile, Ruby fires off a few sniper shots, killing a few Grimm that are running at her, though a few are still standing. Taking the scythe blade out of the ground, she twirls it around to aim the barrel behind her and fires, shooting her towards her enemies. When she gets close, she fires off another shot, using the recoil to spin her around in a tempest of steel as she rips through the remaining three Beowolves coming at her. When she stops, Zwei quickly runs up to her, and she happily pets him. However, she doesn't notice two more Beowolves running at her from her left flank. Luckily, Velvet does and activates her demon claw, swinging it to use her semblance, and creating a claw shield to protect her. The Grimm end up bouncing off of the shield, and Ruby looks at Velvet, offering her a smile of thanks. Velvet smiles back before she gets serious again and runs at the Grimm. She swings her claw, shredding the body of one Beowolf, and then conjures up a fire arte and blasts away another one. A third Beowolf jumps at her, but she catches its skull with her claw and slams it into the ground, crushing its head and killing it.

Velvet walks up to Ruby, "You okay?" she asks.

"Of course. I've got you here, don't I?" Ruby replies, making Velvet blush a little bit.

"Excellent work, girls, but remember that this is merely the first battle of many during our stay here. It appears that our targets are not in this area, so, shall we continue?" he asks and turns to head further into the dead city.

As they continue through the abandoned city, Velvet uses her arm blade to slice through a pair of Beowolves while Dr. Oobleck inspects some plants. Why he's doing this, she doesn't exactly know, but chooses to leave him to his devices as she fires off her gauntlet gun a few times, killing two more Grimm. A little later, the team have taken out the rest of the Grimm in the area, though the Doctor didn't aid them in the combat.

"Good job, girls! Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any signs of criminal operations in this sector. Oh well moving on," he says as they are surrounded by the disintegrating bodies of Grimm before turning around to continue forth.

Velvet deactivates her gauntlet blade and rejoins the group as they continue on their mission.

"Hey Doc, you know, I was actually looking forward to seeing pro huntsman in action. Like fighting, or at least, helping us fight," Yang says, aggravated.

Dr. Oobleck looks back to them, "Ah, but I am in action. Scouring the ruins of this once great city for any signs of irregularity. Not every mission is filled with daring and heroism, young ones. Sometimes, it's just a heightened form of extermination. Remember, this is a job, and you all signed up for it. I do hope you understand that," Oobleck explains to them.

"Well, yeah…O-of course!" Yang retorts, but Dr. Oobleck is not so sure.

The team continue to follow Dr. Oobleck, taking out any Grimm that cross their path along the way. At one point, Dr. Oobleck watches as Velvet use her foot-blades, spinning around to decapitate one Grimm and then stabs the left foot blade into the neck of another. She then jumps back and activates her demon claw. She pulls out a fire Dust crystal and absorbs it into her claw, encasing it in fire. When a group of four more Grimm charge at her, she jumps into the air, reels her claw back, and then smashes it into the ground, causing a large explosion to occur and take them all out in one shot. With the battle over, she deactivates her demon claw, and Oobleck decides to walk up to her at this point.

"Tell me, Velvet, why do you want to become a huntress?" he asks her out of the blue.

"Huh?" she replies, confused, as she turns to face him.

"You certainly possess the skills and abilities to become a skilled huntress, but that won't matter if there is nothing driving those skills. So, why do you want to become a huntress?" he asks again.

Velvet looks away, thinking about his question, _"Truthfully, I never really thought about it. I originally came here just to keep my promise and protect Ruby. Becoming a student at Beacon just helped with that goal. But…I never gave it any thought at all. I guess that makes me a poor excuse for a huntress…"_ she thinks, but then hears some laughing behind Dr. Oobleck and looks to see Ruby, playing with Zwei by having a whole chicken on the end of her scythe suspended above the corgi, with said dog trying to get it. This makes Velvet smile, _"…No…I've always had a reason, I just didn't see it clearly enough,"_ she decides.

"Miss Crowe, your answer, if you will. Why do you want to become a huntress?" he asks again.

Velvet turns her back on him, "Look behind you," she replies.

Oobleck raises an eyebrow, but does as she asks, and sees Ruby playing with Zwei, "…Are you saying that your team leader is the reason why you want to become a huntress? I fail to see your reasoning, I'm afraid. If you're saying that you want to become a huntress just because of one person, then perhaps you need to rethink your reason for becoming a huntress," he says as he turns to face her again.

"No offense, Dr. Oobleck, but if that's what you've come to conclude, then you're missing my point," Velvet counters as she glances back at him.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"Look at Ruby, look at how she's smiling," she says. Oobleck loks back and sees the smile of Ruby's face as she plays with Zwei. "I want to protect that smile, Dr. Oobleck. Ruby wants to help others, and that smile is one way she can do that. That smile, that joy, can spread to other people as well. I want to protect that smile, and others like it. Ruby wants to protect the people, but then who is going to protect her? I will. By protecting her, I will be protecting others, and helping them to smile again. She breathes light and hope wherever she goes, and I never want that light to go out. That's why I want to become a huntress, Dr. Oobleck. If I can protect that one special life, then I can protect the whole world. I want to do everything I can to help her achieve her goals. That may seem selfish, or maybe not good enough for a huntress, but it's everything to me. That is my reason. SHE is my reason," Velvet says and walks away.

Oobleck looks back between the two of them, "Huh…not a bad reason at all," he mutters.

He then walks over to Ruby, who is still playing with the chicken and Zwei. However, the second she notices him, she quickly puts her scythe and the chicken away.

"Sorry! Uh, are we ready to keep going?" she asks.

"…Nope, I believe that will have to do for today. It's going to be dark soon," he says while looking up before throwing his bag over to Yang. "You four, set up camp in that building. Oh, and please do make sure there are no more of those…creatures," he starts, turning to them. "Your leader and I are going to secure the perimeter. Come, Ruby," he says and starts walking away with Ruby, with Zwei in tow, while the others set up camp.

Velvet and the others walk into an abandoned building, finding a big space on the first floor (what's left of it) and begin to set up camp there. While the others set up the sleeping bags and the supplies, Velvet goes out to get some firewood. With Velvet gone, Yang makes her opportunity.

"Hey, guys," she says, getting Weiss and Blake's attention. "I think when Velvet gets back with the firewood, while Ruby and Dr. Oobleck are gone, we should ask her to tell us more about her past," she says.

"You sure that's a good idea? What if that only makes things worse between us? I remember what she said to me back at Beacon, about what happened with her brother, and how she'd been locked up for a few years. I admit while I am curious about it, I don't want to ruin Ruby's chances with her. They seem really happy together," Blake says.

"I just want to know the truth. Ruby says she already knows everything about Velvet's past, but she still accepted her anyway. If I can know the truth as well, it will at least make me feel better about all of this," Yang explains.

Weiss puts a comforting hand on her shoulder, "We'll find out what's really going on, but make sure you think about your sister in this. Remember, it was your idea to get them together, so don't you dare go back on that, especially when your plan succeeded…that felt weird to say," Weiss says.

"Hey!" Yang retorts, but then calms down. "I'm not going to try and break them up. Ruby has never been very sociable, but now she has an awesome girlfriend. I won't ruin that, I promise," she says.

Just then, Velvet returns with some firewood, "Got the firewood. I'll set it up," she says and puts the wood together and gets a fire going in the center of camp.

"Listen, Velvet, we need to talk. It's about what you said to Blake the night before the dance. About you being locked up for a few years. It doesn't fit with Ozpin's story about you applying to Beacon two years ago. We're asking you Velvet, will you tell us what's really going on? Please, you already told Ruby everything, you can tell us. We're a team, so we need to have no secrets between us," Yang asks.

Velvet looks away, unsure of what to do, "I…I don't know. If you learn the truth about me, you all may try to keep me from Ruby, and I can't allow that to happen," she says.

Blake then joins in, "Velvet, we promise we won't do anything of the sort. We see how much you two care about each other. If Ruby was able to accept you, then so can we. You helped me get past my issues with being a Faunus, so let me help you with this," she says.

Velvet looks at all of them for a moment and then sighs, "Promise me you won't try anything after I tell you the truth?" she asks.

They all nod, "We promise," Weiss says for them.

"Fine…Best if I start from the beginning," Velvet says.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Looks like Velvet will finally tell the rest of the team about her past. How will they take it? Will Yang keep her cool after learning the truth? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	31. Chapter 31: The Truth - Part 2

**Here we are at chapter 31. It's time for the rest of Team RVWBY to learn the truth about Velvet. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's Chapter 31. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 31: The Truth – Part 2**

With Ruby, Zwei, and Dr. Oobleck still gone, and the fire burning, Velvet has just finished telling her story to the rest of the team (Because I'm lazy like that). Suffice to say, it was not something they were expecting.

"…And that's how I ended up here with you guys. I know, it sounds crazy, but that's my story. Whether you believe me or not is up to you guys," Velvet says, taking a huge sigh as she concludes her story. "So, out with the questions. Get it over with," she says.

Weiss is the first to speak, "…Wait, so you're saying that you're from another world?" she asks, finding it hard to believe.

"Yep," Velvet replies.

"And that in your world, there are demons, spirits, magic, and other mystical stuff?" Blake adds.

"Pretty much," Velvet says.

"And back in your world, your younger brother was killed by your brother-in-law, Artorius, and so you went on a quest for vengeance against him," Weiss notes.

"Don't say his name. I don't like thinking about it. But yeah, I did, and I got it. Though, that's what led me to come here, so I guess something good came out of it," Velvet says. They all then look at Yang, who has remained silent throughout the whole conversation. "Yang?" she calls out the blonde.

Yang's fists clench a little, "Other worlds, magic, spirits and monsters. That's one thing, and it's a little hard to swallow…But, what's getting at me…is that you said you're one of them. That you're a demon," Yang says as she finally stares Velvet in the eye.

"I was once human, but now, yes, I am a demon," Velvet calmly replies.

"And does Ruby know about that?!" Yang yells, standing up in anger.

"I told you, Ruby knows EVERYTHING about me, including the fact that I'm a demon. As a matter of fact, that was the first thing I told her when I talked about my past," Velvet replies, remaining seated on her sleeping bag.

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?! Knowing that my little sister is in a relationship with a…with a…" Yang trails off.

"A what? A demon? A monster? A killer?! One, if I killed someone, it was for good reason, and two, she's not your baby sister anymore! She knows exactly what I am, and yet she still accepted me. You think I would ever do something to her after that? I would NEVER hurt her, not after everything she's done for me," Velvet retorts, standing up as well.

"How am I supposed to believe you after you've been keeping this huge secret from us this whole time?!" Yang yells back, her eyes starting to turn red.

"Because you either wouldn't believe me, or you would do something like this. How did you think Blake felt when you found out she was a Faunus? What was she supposed to expect?" Velvet counters.

"Don't bring Blake into this. That wasn't even close to being like this-," Yang begins.

"Yang, SHUT UP!" Blake suddenly yells out, making all of them look at her, stunned. "Velvet is right about me," she says.

"What? Blake, you're nothing like her," Yang retorts.

"But I know exactly what she's been through. Have you forgotten that I was once a part of the White Fang? How some humans view the Faunus? We Faunus have also been seen as monsters and killers, more so by some then others…" Blake says as she looks at Weiss, who can't help but look away in shame. "I know what it's like to be seen as a monster, as something less than human. What's more, I know what it's like to basically be betrayed by someone close to me. Back in the White Fang, I had a partner named Adam. He used to tell me that what we were doing in the White Fang would be for the good of everyone, that we would make a better place for everyone. But as time went by, I realized that his plan for a better world…would only be better for SOME people. The partner, the…friend I knew became a monster, a killer. I couldn't recognize him anymore. He turned his back on what the White Fang was meant to be, for what it stood for. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? To know that someone you cared about could do something like that?" Blake asks Yang.

Yang tries to find some way to separate Blake's words from Velvet's position…but can't find a single counterargument. Weiss walks up to her and places a supportive hand on her right shoulder.

"Yang…I made a promise that I would protect Ruby, no matter the cost. But, I don't want to fight you. What do you think she would believe if she saw the two of us fighting?" Velvet asks.

Yang looks down, "…She…would think it was her fault," she replies, knowing her sister all too well.

"We both care about Ruby. All four of us do. I want Ruby to be happy, and I know you do too. Can't we at least agree on that?" Velvet asks.

Yang looks back at Velvet and sighs, "I…guess we can. On one thing at least," she replies, glancing away.

Weiss decides to change the subject in the hopes of remedying the situation, "Velvet, when you said you were transported here after you…died…How did that go exactly?" she asks.

"I don't exactly know either, but I do know that it wasn't with my own power. Rather, it was because someone sent me here," Velvet answers.

"Who?" Blake asks, curious.

"Summer Rose. Ruby's mother," she says.

This makes Yang's eyes widen as she looks back at Velvet, "You mean to tell me that Summer sent you here? You'd better not be joking about something like that," she says.

"I'm not. It was her. Looked just like an older version of Ruby, except she had a white cloak on instead of a red cloak like Ruby's," Velvet says.

"…Yeah, that's Summer alright. But, does that mean she's still alive?" Yang asks.

"No. I told you, I died before I came here. Which can only mean that Summer Rose is in fact dead as well. Though, how she came to possess her abilities, like being able to send me here, is something I don't know," Velvet explains.

"Well, does Ruby know about this?" Blake asks.

"Yes, she knows. She said it was nice knowing her mother was watching over her like this," Velvet says.

"I guess that's nice to hear for her," Yang says.

"Velvet, if you are a demon, then why do you look so human?" Weiss asks.

"I'm not exactly like most demons. Back in my world, demons were born from the malevolence in our world, the negativity in people's hearts. You could say that they are somewhat like the Grimm. The greater the negativity, the malevolence, the stronger they become. My powers came as a part of a ritual, and in essence, I became a demon, however I maintained my sanity and sense of reason, rather than become a mindless monster like the rest of them. That's the basic gist of it," Velvet explains.

"So, your powers, your demon claw; they were born from that ritual?" Weiss asks.

"Yes, my claw allows me to absorb the strength of demons, becoming stronger with each meal," she says, looking at her left hand.

"Meal?" Yang asks, confused.

"…Back home, I was known as the "Thaerion", or demon eater. While I was locked up, I survived by killing and eating demons with my claw. They had a seal of sorts in my cell that drains my strength after every meal, leaving just enough to keep me alive. I lost count on how many of those things I absorbed while I was down there. Here, it seems my demon claw can absorb the auras of people. Like what I did with Yang, as well as Dust crystals, making me much stronger than before," Velvet says.

"Not to mention that claw shield of yours. That was pretty cool," Yang notes.

"Actually, that wasn't a part of my demon powers. In all honesty, I think that shield is my actual semblance. I've never been able to do anything like that back home," Velvet says.

"They say that a person's semblance is related to their personality, their character. My guess is that your semblance is a shield of sorts due to your protective nature. After all, you were protective with your younger brother, with Laphicet, and of course Ruby. It must have been born from your desire to protect them from harm after your aura was unlocked," Weiss suggests.

"Okay, and then this Seres person you mentioned earlier. You said she helped you escape, but got injured, and so you had to…eat her…to absorb her powers. That's why you were able to use those fire attacks earlier?" Weiss asks.

Velvet raise her right hand and Seres' ring appears on her middle finger. "Yes. This ring was born from her soul after I ate her. With this, I can use what are known as fire artes, those fire attacks I used before. I don't really use Fire dust because I have this…Even now, she's still helping me out," Velvet says, showing a sad smile.

Blake becomes the first to move and goes to sit next to Velvet, placing a supportive hand on her left shoulder.

"Velvet…I'm sure it wasn't easy telling us all of this, but…Thank you for trusting us enough to do so. Like I said, I know what you've been through, to a degree at least," Blake comforts her.

"Blake's right. Truth be told, I'm not on good terms with some of my family back home either, so I at least know a little bit about what you went through, at least when it comes to family," Weiss says as she does the same motions as Blake, but on Velvet's right side.

They all look at Yang, who hasn't moved, "Yang, what about you?" Velvet asks.

The blonde remains stationary for a moment, thinking about everything that has transpired around the campfire. Eventually, she looks back at Velvet with a determined look in her eye. She walks over to them, kneels down, and wraps her arms around Velvet in a tender embrace, unlike her usual bone-crushing bear hugs.

"I'm sorry for how I acted earlier, Velvet. I see now that you're still the same person we know, the same teammate and friend we care about. It was just a lot to take in. Believe me, it all sounds completely crazy, but…I know you. You wouldn't lie about something like this, and I can now see why you had to keep it a secret until now," Yang says as she moves back to look Velvet in the eye. "You say that you're a demon, that you're a monster. But I find that hard to believe. To me, you're just a normal girl who had a rough life and just wanted to protect the people she cares about. In my eyes, you're still a human being," she says.

Velvet appears a little stunned by Yang's words, but smiles anyway, "I won't exactly agree with you on the human thing, but, thanks anyway, Yang," she replies.

"So, does Ozpin know about any of this?" Yang asks.

"He knows that I'm here to protect Ruby, and about my promise to Summer, but that's about it. He helped me come up with the cover story for my enrollment here since they couldn't find any records about me. Doubt they would since I'm not from this world. I haven't told him the truth yet because I'm not sure I can trust him yet. I can't take that risk, at least not right now anyway, so I would appreciate it if you would keep this between us for now," Velvet says.

"Of course. While I believe that we could trust Professor Ozpin, I think we should hold off on that for a while. Your secret is safe with us," Weiss adds, with Blake nodding in agreement.

"Thanks, guys," Velvet thanks them.

The group separates and return to their respective sleeping bags.

"Dr. Oobleck and Ruby should be back shortly. It's starting to get a little dark out," Blake notes.

"He was really talkative today. More so than usual. He asked me about why I wanted to be a huntress," Weiss notes.

"He asked the rest of us as well. What did you guys tell him?" Velvet asks them, a little curious.

"Well, I told him that I was a thrill-seeker. That I wanted to get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as I can, and if I can help people out while doing that, then that makes it even better," Yang says.

"I told Dr. Oobleck that it was to uphold the Schnee family legacy. It was my duty to uphold it," Weiss says next.

"I told him that I wanted to stop all the inequality and corruption in this world, so that's why I decided to become a huntress. But then he asked me why, and well…I didn't have an answer for him. To be honest, I'm not sure that was what he was looking for," Blake adds.

"Actually, he didn't seem that satisfied with my answer either," Weiss notes.

"Yeah, me too," Yang says.

"Is that because maybe there's more to it than what you told him? Am I getting anywhere?" Velvet asks.

"…Actually, you're right. What I told him, that wasn't what I meant. Upholding a legacy. There's more to it in fact," Weiss says.

"Yeah. No, me too…I mean, I don't know," Yang trails off.

"I don't know either. I know what I want to do, I just…figured I'd take it one step at a time," Blake adds.

"Hey Velvet, what did you-," Yang begins until Ruby and Zwei suddenly return to the campsite.

"Oh, fire!" Ruby gasps for joy as she sits down in front of the fire, warming herself up. "So warm," she mutters in bliss.

Oobleck pops up beside her, "Very good! Eat your dinners and hurry to bed. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow, and we'll need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers for first watch?" Oobleck asks.

"Yo," Ruby says, raising her left hand.

Oobleck quickly zips away and then Ruby and Zwei start walking to one section of the building that has a large hole overlooking a section of the city and the forest behind it. As they are walking, Yang stops Ruby.

"Hey, did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a huntress. I mean…what did you tell him?" Yang asks Ruby.

Ruby hums in thought and shakes her head, "No, he didn't. Weird. Oh well, goodnight guys," Ruby replies and walks off.

"Why would he ask all of us for our reasons for becoming huntresses, and yet not ask Ruby? She is our leader after all," Weiss notes.

"I think…it's because she already knows exactly why. She wants to become a huntress because all she wants to do is help people, to protect them. Definitely seems nobler than our reasons, if you ask me," Velvet says.

"That reminds me, Oobleck asked for your reason for becoming a huntress, right? What did you tell him?" Yang asks.

Velvet just looks at Ruby, who's watching over the area with her scythe in its gun mode.

"I told him…that Ruby is my reason," she says.

"What do you mean? Because she's your girlfriend now?" Blake asks.

"Like I told Oobleck. Ruby wants to protect people, but who's going to protect her? That's why I will protect her. I want to protect that beautiful smile of hers. She makes other people happy, and I want to protect that happiness. I've never been much of the hero type, but by helping her, I can help other people. Because she'll be there to give them hope, to help them smile again. That's why I want to become a huntress. If I can protect Ruby, then I can protect Remnant as well," Velvet explains.

The rest of the group eventually smile at her reason, "I never thought of it like that. I guess it depends on how you look at things," Yang notes.

"Well, we should get some rest. We all have to take watch while we're here, so while we have the chance, we'd better get some sleep," Weiss says and goes to lay down on her sleeping bag.

Yang and Blake follow suit and go to get some sleep as well, but before she does, Velvet gets up and walks over to where Ruby is.

"See anything out there?" she asks.

"Oh, Velvet. No, nothing right now," she says, but then they hear a faint howl far off into the night, making Zwei whimper a bit. "Or, at least, nothing that I can visually see right now," Ruby corrects herself.

"We are in an area with high Grimm activity. We're bound to here sounds like that. Luckily, we got you in case something comes up," Velvet says.

Ruby giggles as she pets Zwei to calm him down, "Thanks Velvet…By the way, I'm curious. Did Oobleck ask you about why you wanted to become a huntress? I mean, I know you came here to protect me, but surely after being at Beacon for so long, you must've found a reason by now. What did you tell him?" she asks.

Velvet just smiles and wraps her right arm around Ruby's shoulders, and gives her a kiss on her forehead, making Ruby blush.

"I told him about a special Rose that blooms happiness all around her. And that by protecting that little flower, I can protect Remnant as well. That's my reason," she says.

Ruby remains speechless for a moment before she leans up and kisses Velvet on the cheek, stunning her as well as make her blush too.

"That's really sweet of you, Velvet. I'm really glad I got to meet you," Ruby says.

"Me too, Ruby. Well, goodnight. Try not to push yourself too hard," Velvet says and walks away to get some sleep.

"I'll try," Ruby says as she looks back out into the night, unable to keep the big smile from leaving her face.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. A little shorter than how my chapters usually go, but I had to end it at a good position for the next chapter. Velvet has finally told the rest of the team the truth about herself, and luckily, they managed to accept her for it. What awaits Team RVWBY as they continue their mission in Mountain Glenn? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	32. Chapter 32: The Underground

**Here we are at chapter 32. Now that Velvet has told the truth to the rest of Team RVWBY, they can now focus on their mission in Mountain Glenn. So let's get to it. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 32. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 32: The Underground**

The group sleep around the campfire, while Oobleck sleeps above them, and Ruby keeps a lookout off to the side, with Zwei next to her. Eventually though, Yang opens her eyes.

"Blake, are you awake?" she asks.

"Yeah," Blake replies.

"Why do you think he asked us about being a huntress? Like, what was he trying to say?" Yang asks.

"Maybe he was just curious," Blake suggests as Yang rolls to face her.

"You think?" Yang asks again.

"…No," Blake replies, opening her eyes.

Yang sighs as she lays on her back, "Weiss, are you awake?" she asks Weiss.

"Of course I'm awake! You guys are talking" Weiss retorts, making Yang wince and then roll her eyes. "And I think he…When I said I wanted to honor my family's name, I meant it, but, it's not what you think. I'm not stupid, I'm fully aware of what my father has done with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated in a…moral gray area," Weiss explains.

"That's putting it lightly," Blake notes.

Weiss then sits up, "Which is WHY I feel the need to make things right. If I had taken a job back in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name, and I REFUSE to let him be the end of it," Weiss says before laying back down.

"…Well you guys already know about my former partner Adam, but that's not all there is to it. I wanted peace and equality, and I figured that if I became a huntress, I could achieve that. I joined the academy because I heard that huntsmen were regarded as the most noble of warriors, but I guess I never gave it any thought beyond that. I just don't know how I can remedy so many years of hate," Blake voices her worry.

"I believe you'll figure something out. You're smart, and you're not one for backing down from a challenge," Yang supports her.

"But I am! I do it all the time. When you learned I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do, so I ran! When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran! Even my…semblance. I was born with the ability to leave behind a shadow of myself. An empty copy that takes the hit while I run away," Blake retorts.

"Then I guess you'd better fix that little issue if you ever hope to amount to something," Velvet suddenly adds without looking back at them, nor opening her eyes.

"Hey, Velvet, Blake is not some kind of coward," Yang backs up her partner.

"And yet when you guys found out that she was a Faunus, she gave in to fear and tried to run away before I had to clean up everything," Velvet says as she finally opens her eyes and rolls over to look at her team. "As long as you let fear control your actions, you'll only end up moving backwards in your life, not forward," she says. Blake can say nothing as she looks away from Velvet's gaze. "You're at least able to admit you have that problem, which is the first step to fixing it. As for my reasons, I pretty much spilled my guts on those…Ruby gave me a second chance at life, and has helped me so much since I first met her. I won't have her face these battles alone. I'll follow her no matter what it takes," she says.

"…At least you guys have something that drives you. I've always just gone with the flow, you know? And that's fine, I mean that's who I am, but how long can I keep that up? I want to be a huntress, not really because I want to be a hero, but because I want the adventure. I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring, and that will be a good thing. Being a huntress just happens to line up with that," Yang says as she then glances at Ruby. "I'm not like Ruby. She's always wanted to be a huntress. It's like she said, ever since she was a kid, she dreamt about being the heroes in the books, helping people and saving the day, and never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she KNEW that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get to where she is today," Yang says.

"And that's what I like about her so much," Velvet mutters, smiling as she glances at Ruby.

"Geez, get a room, will you," Weiss says, rolling her eyes. "Besides, Ruby is just a kid," she notes.

"She's only two years younger. We're all kids," Blake points out.

"Speak for yourself. I'm two years older than you three, in case you forgot. Not to mention that I've been in plenty of battles so say that I'm no longer a kid," Velvet says.

"Okay, aside from Velvet, we can't really call ourselves kids anymore. I mean, we're here in an abandoned city teeming with Grimm and loaded with powerful weapons and abilities. I doubt any KIDS would really be doing that," Yang says.

"It's the life we chose," Blake adds.

"It's a JOB. We all had this romanticized vision of being a huntress in our heads. But at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people. And whatever we want will have to come second," Weiss says.

"I don't care what it is. I just want to help Ruby. As long as she's happy, that's enough for me. I know that may seem selfish to some, but it's everything to me. It's my life, and I'll live it my way," Velvet adds, glancing at the sleeping Dr. Oobleck.

Later that night, Ruby switches places with Yang, who takes the next watch, while she sleeps.

…

In her sleep, Velvet wakes up to find herself back in the white void. She sighs and turns around to see Summer standing behind her again.

"At this point, I really don't care how often this occurs. So what is it now?" Velvet asks as she stands up.

"I'm here to warn you. You're first trial against the darkness that seeks to hurt Ruby is approaching. I want to to be ready for when it comes," Summer says.

"Hey, I won't let anything happen to Ruby. I made a promise didn't I," she states.

"Oh, I'm sure. The gallant demon that saves her beloved princess," Summer says, chuckling.

"I still don't get how you can be so okay with me dating your daughter," Velvet deadpans.

"Oh, Ruby was always so shy back when she was little. It's brings me so much joy seeing her branch out like this. Though, I must admit, I was a little surprised to see that see wasn't really interested in men," she innocently notes, acting like Ruby.

"Okay, change of subject. Care to tell me anything about this upcoming threat I'm supposed to face?" Velvet asks.

"I'm afraid I can't, for that will always elude me. Just be careful. Whatever awaits you and the others in the future, you'll only succeed if you face it together," Summer says.

"…Don't worry. That's what a team is for, right?" Velvet replies, smiling.

Summer smiles back, "Of course…It's time for me to go. Until the next time we meet, Velvet Crowe," she says as everything goes white again.

…

Velvet slowly opens her eyes and lifts her head as she looks around. She sees Yang still on night watch, Weiss and Blake sound asleep, Oobleck on the floor above them, and Ruby's sleeping bag empty…Wait.

Velvet's eyes widen, _"Where's Ruby?"_ she wonders worriedly. Velvet gets up, trying not to wake the others and walks over to Yang. "Yang, where is Ruby?" she asks the blonde.

Yang turns to her, "Huh? Ruby is sleeping on her bag, right? She's over the-," Yang points at Ruby's spot, but shuts up when she sees that the team leader is missing. "Wait, where's Ruby?" she asks.

"That's what I'm asking you. You're the one on watch, you didn't think to look back every once and a while to check on the team?" Velvet asks, irritated.

"Okay, look, Zwei's missing as well. Ruby probably just went out to take him for a walk so he can do his business," Yang tries to theorize.

"Do…do you really think so?" Velvet asks, not feeling so sure.

"I'm sure. If you can't get back to sleep, then sit and wait for her to get back…Look, I'd probably feel a little worried to if I didn't see Weiss where she's supposed to be, so I can understand your worry, but don't worry. Ruby will be back, safe and sound, and you can feel better knowing she's sleeping near you again…But make sure it's not in the same sleeping bag, okay?" Yang says.

Velvet sighs, "Okay…Geez, it's not like we're gonna do something while we're out here. I have at least some sense of propriety," Velvet retorts as she turns and walks away.

Velvet sits on her bag, watching the campfire die out as she waits for Ruby to come back. However, with each passing minute, her worry grows. She waits and waits, listening and watching for any sign of her girlfriend's return. After around ten minutes though, she can't shake the feeling that something is really wrong and that Ruby is caught in the middle of it. She hears footsteps and looks to her left to see Yang walking back to camp.

"Alright Weiss, it's your…" Yang trails off as she finds no sign of Ruby and looks at Velvet. "Ruby still hasn't come back yet?" she asks.

"No. I don't care if that dog is trying to mark his territory across the entire abandoned city, it shouldn't take this long. I'm getting worried," Velvet says.

Just then, Zwei suddenly runs back into camp, barking like crazy and waking everyone up.

"Zwei, what's wrong boy?" Yang asks as she kneels to him.

Weiss and Blake wake up and look around to see no sign of Ruby.

"Wait, where's Ruby?" Weiss asks.

"Gather your weapons," They hear behind them and look to see Dr. Oobleck standing near them. "Your leader may be in danger," he says.

"Zwei, can you take us to Ruby?" Yang asks her pet.

Zwei nods and starts running out of the camp, with the rest of the group following close behind him. They follow him through the dead city for a few minutes, until finally, the see Zwei stop in front of a large hole in the middle of the street. Next to the hole…is Ruby's scythe.

"That's Ruby's!" Velvet says as Yang picks it up.

"But, that does that mean...that she fell down there?" Weiss asks as they all look down the hole.

"Fell…Of course. Of course! OF COURSE! Why didn't I think about that earlier?!" Oobleck yells, walking around the others and holding his head.

Meanwhile, Velvet is thinking of something entirely different, _"No, I will not leave her to fight off whatever may be down there by herself,"_ she decides and walks closer to the hole, ready to jump.

"Miss Crowe, what are you doing?!" Oobleck yells.

"…I'm saving my girlfriend," she declares and then jumps down the hole before anyone can stop her.

Everyone's eyes widen at seeing Velvet perform such a crazy stunt.

"They say that love makes people do crazy things, but I didn't think they meant it literally," Yang notes.

…

Velvet falls deeper into the abyss, the darkness making it a little hard to see. However, she eventually falls out of the hole and sees herself falling towards an underground city below. Seeing the ground floor coming up fast, Velvet activates her demon claw and pulls out a gray Dust crystal. Absorbing the crystal, wind starts forming around her demon claw. She aims her claw below her and fires off a torrent of wind that slows her descent until eventually, she lands safely on the ground. She deactivates her demon claw and looks around. It surprised her to find a second city directly beneath the first one. However, much like the city on the surface, this one is just as dead and abandoned, but even more so in a way.

 _"Maybe I should have stayed up top long enough to hear Oobleck's story about this place…Nah, I've got more important things to do right now than engage in some history lesson. Don't worry Ruby. I'll find you as soon as possible,"_ Velvet thinks and starts moving through the underground.

For a while, she doesn't find much, just more destroyed buildings and underground chambers. She moves from building to another, trying to stay out of site while also keeping an eye out for Ruby, but also for anyone or anything that's not Ruby. After moving through the shadows for a short while, she suddenly hears some voices up ahead around one building. Moving quietly closer to the source, she peaks around the corner to find a group of White Fang soldiers patrolling around and making small idle chatter.

"So, any idea when the boss is supposed to send the train in to Vale? I'm getting tired of waiting," one soldier asks.

"Better make sure he doesn't hear that, otherwise when we do get it moving, he'll have you tied up on the front car and have you go splat when we reach the destination," another one answers.

 _"Train? Vale? What the Hell is going on here? If I follow them, maybe I can find out what they're planning, and hopefully find Ruby,"_ Velvet thinks as she follows them from the shadows.

The White Fang members continue their patrol, never noticing Velvet tailing them from behind. Eventually though, one of them breaks off, apparently to take a leak. The others keep going, and Velvet decides to make use of this opportunity. The lone soldier does his thing, but just as he goes to return to patrol, a demon claw suddenly grabs his skull from behind. The soldier is thrown into one of the buildings and loses his weapon. He looks up to see Velvet standing over him, her claw still active.

"What the He-," he begins before Velvet's claw wraps around his skull effectively shutting him up.

"Now then, you're going to tell me where this 'train' of yours is, that is, unless you want to become the newest member of Mountain Glenn's list of victims," she threatens him.

"I-I'm not scared of you. You can't make me say anything!" the Faunus tries to resist.

"Oh, believe me, I can make you say…plenty," she mutters darkly with a somewhat evil looking grin on her face.

A few minutes, and a few broken bones later, Velvet moves through the abandoned city, now knowing where she needed to go. Eventually, she jumps on top of one old building and looks on to see a shocking scene in front of her. Before her is a train with several cars hooked up together. She sees White Fang soldiers all over the place, loading crates into the train cars while others guard the area. She even sees a few Atlesian Paladins walking around, just like the one she and the team fought against back in Vale. She looks around, and her eyes widen when she notices a distinct red cloak down below. It is Ruby, apparently being interrogated by Roman Torchwick of all people. She can't hear what they're saying, but when she sees Roman move his cane a little too close to Ruby, she decides to move right then and there. Even if she's outnumbered and outgunned, she won't let anyone harm Ruby. Velvet activates her demon claw and takes out two ice Dust crystals this time, and absorbs them. Jumping into the air, she raises her claw and when she gets close, she slams it into the ground. The attack releases a huge shockwave of ice that freezes anyone near her in place.

"What the Hell is going on here?!" Roman yells out.

In all the panic, Velvet uses the opportunity to fire off a few ice shards at the soldiers near Ruby and Torchwick. Torchwick manages to avoid the attack, but his soldiers aren't so lucky, as they get turned into Faunus-cicles. With her Ice abilities just about out, she coats her claw in ice spike and rushes them. When she gets close, she swings it at Torchwick and then fires off some gauntlet shots to get him to back off and retreat.

"Velvet!" Ruby shouts for joy.

"Ruby, are you alright?!" Velvet says as she turns to her.

Her answer is Ruby jumping onto her in a huge hug. After regaining her footing, Velvet hugs her back.

"Oh, thank you Velvet. I knew you'd come for me," Ruby says.

"Of course I would. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't," Velvet replies.

The tender moment is short lived as a few shots ring out over their heads. The two look back to see several White Fang members running towards them, firing their rifles at them. Velvet conjures up a fire arte and fires it out at them, sending them all flying in an explosion of fire. The Velvet nods to Ruby and the two move to get away as more White Fang members show up to attack. However, just as they are about to fire, a surprise shot rings out, blowing them all away. Velvet and Ruby look forward to see Yang as the culprit.

"Ruby!" Yang yells as she goes to take Ruby into a bone-crushing hug while the others join them.

"You are just as crazy as our leader is," Weiss notes to Velvet, who shrugs in response. Weiss then turns to Ruby, "Are you okay?" Weiss asks, concerned.

'I'm fine. I'm fine! But listen, Torchwick's got all sorts of weapons and robots down there!" Ruby says.

"What?" Blake asks as she hand Ruby her scythe.

"Androids, mechs, they're all loaded up on the train cars," Ruby explains.

"Ah, that's ridiculous. These tunnels are sealed. Th-these tracks lead to a dead end," Oobleck says.

They then here a loud screeching noise, followed by Roman's voice.

"Get to your places, we are leaving now," they hear him say.

The train's horn goes off as it begins to move away from them.

"Well, it sounds like they're going SOMEWHERE!" Yang says.

"We need backup. Let me call Jaune," Ruby says. She pulls out her scroll, but can't make the call. "I can't get through," she says.

"That means that there's only one thing left to do," Velvet notes as she looks back at the train.

Ruby readies her scythe, "We're stopping that train," she declares.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. I have something special planned for the fight on the train for Velvet, just have to figure out exactly where it's gonna go. Will Team RVWBY stop the train? Will they stop Torchwick? Do we even want to know what happened to that poor White Fang member that Velvet interrogated? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	33. Chapter 33: Train Takedown

**Here we are at Chapter 33. This stories definitely going to be longer than I first thought, but that's a good thing in my mind. Anyway, time for a little surprise in this one. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 33. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 33: Train Takedown**

As the train begins moving away from the underground site, Team RVWBY along with Dr. Oobleck manage to make it onto the train. Just as one White Fang member looks back at them while standing inside the back car, Velvet comes up and kicks him off the train. Seeing that the coast is currently clear, the group moves onto the top of the train car they're on, and Oobleck opens up a hatch on top for them.

"Hurry children. We must get to the front and stop this train!" he says.

"Uh, Professor…" Weiss begins.

"Doctor," he corrects her.

"What's that?" she asks, pointing to a gray cylinder object with red and blue wires on the side in the car they're standing on.

"That, my dear…appears to be a bomb," he answers, making them all reel back from the object.

Ruby then looks ahead of them, "We've got baddies," she says, pointing ahead.

They see many White Fang soldiers coming up onto the freight cars ahead of them and start walking towards them.

"Well, at least it can't get any worse than-," Yang begins before they all hear a sound below them and look down to see the bomb inside the car switch on. "-this…" Yang finishes.

"You just HAD to jinx us, didn't you?" Velvet says, glaring at the blonde.

"We'd best get off this train car, now!" Oobleck instructs them, but then stops Blake. "Blake, detach the caboose! It will kill us all!" he says.

"On it!" Blake replies and jumps down in between the two cars. However, just as she's about to cut the link, the caboose suddenly detaches itself from the rest of the train. "Huh? It detached itself!" she yells up to Oobleck.

"What?" he asks.

"I guess he REALLY don't want us on this train!" Yang adds.

Oobleck looks back to see the car explode a moment later, hitting the ceiling of the tunnel and creating a giant hole to the surface.

"That's not good," he says, slowly shaking his head.

"Good? We're on a train filled with White Fang goons, and we almost got blown up by an exploding train car. I'm pretty sure 'good' is off the table at this point," Velvet notes.

"We got another problem," Ruby says ahead of them as she and Weiss open up another car.

"Another bomb?!" Blake exclaims.

"And now 'good' has officially left the building," Velvet adds.

Oobleck thinks for a moment before he starts running ahead of them, "No. No. No!" he says as he runs to the car ahead of Ruby and Weiss, and opens the top door to reveal another bomb inside it. "They all have bombs!" he screams.

The bomb in the car the team is on then switches on. They then look up to see their car getting decoupled like the first one. They run and jump off it and land on the car Oobleck is on and look back to the decoupled car.

"This doesn't make sense!" Yang says.

"Roman's a criminal. Do you really think he's gonna care about what makes sense to us and what doesn't?" Velvet sarcastically asks.

They all look back to see the White Fang members getting closer to them. The girls take their stance and prepare to fight. One goon goes after Yang, but she trips him up, winks in slow motion, and then smashes him through the train car. Blake dashes forth, creating a flurry of steal with her sword as she slashes at a few enemies around her, knocking them all off the train. Weiss, using her semblance, skates across the train cars, leaving ice shards in her wake as she clears a path through their enemies. Meanwhile, Ruby prepares to fire her scythe behind her, but then Velvet activates her demon claw and positions it like a spring board for her. Ruby jumps onto the claw, and then Velvet launches her straight at some White Fang goons. Ruby fires her scythe behind her, sending her spinning as she slices through them all, taking several opponents down. The few that do manage to stay on, end up getting blasted off by a fire arte from Velvet, who then moves in close and swings her claw at a few enemies before grabbing the skull of one soldier and smashing him through the train car. She then fires off another fire arte to take out the rest that stood in her way.

Meanwhile, Dr. Oobleck looks back at the decoupled car behind them, watching it explode and hit the ceiling above it. From the giant hole above, numerous Grimm appear, including Creeps, Beowolves, Death Stalkers, and a large King Taijitu. The Grimm roar as they pursue the train.

"Oh dear," he says as the Grimm race after them. "He's leading Grimm to the city!" he yells to the others.

"WHAT?!" Weiss shrieks.

"It's the cars! They detach and explode, creating openings for the Grimm!" he replies.

"That's insane!" Blake shouts.

Oobleck looks back as another car decouples itself from the main train.

"We have to hurry!" Oobleck yells and starts running to them. "Yang, Weiss, Blake! You go down and take care of those bombs!" he instructs them.

"What about us?" Ruby asks, gesturing to herself, Velvet, and Zwei.

"We're going to stop this train," he says, trying to look cool.

"Yeah, I know. I said that earlier," Ruby reminds him, making him lose his cool.

They all then run ahead while a few White Fang soldiers get in some Atlesian Paladins a few cars ahead of them, powering them up. They jump onto a car behind them and start running towards Ruby, Oobleck, Zwei, and Velvet.

"Up ahead!" Oobleck says, pointing to one mech running at them. The mech jumps up, smashing through a walkway above the train before landing in front of them. "We've got a problem!" he says.

Oobleck takes a drink out of his thermos before extending it and lighting a fire at the end. Zwei barks in front of him, and then jumps up, rolling his body into a ball. Oobleck winds back his weapon and swings it, hitting Zwei. Zwei then flies through the air while encased in fire, spinning like a ball until he slams into the Atlesian Paladin in a fiery explosion, sending it off the train. Zwei lands, unscathed, and watches the falling mech crash and roll on the ground before exploding. Suddenly, a second Paladin stomps next to him and he looks up as it aims its guns at him. Suddenly, a fireball nails the Paladin, making it stagger. Zwei looks back to see Velvet, with her demon claw activated, as she jumps up and punches the machine hard, making it reel back just barely keeping on the train. Finally, she spins around and swings her claw at the mech's legs, knocking it off its feet and sending it off the train. Zwei jumps up into her arms and starts licking her face again, much to her annoyance.

"Zwei, this isn't the time!" she yells as she pushes the dog off of her.

Zwei gets down and Velvet looks to see another Paladin coming their way. She's about to fight it, when out of nowhere, several fireballs fly over her and slam into the mech. Next, Dr. Oobleck jumps over and swings his thermos around, still on fire, and knocks the machine off the train, landing with style.

"…Show off," she says with a deadpan look.

Ruby comes up from behind her, and the two nod to each other as they race across the train cars, heading towards the front of the train. As they're running, they see a pair of Paladins running at them. Velvet takes out and absorbs another wind Dust crystal, giving her demon claw a silver-like color. She focuses her energy and sends out a huge twister towards her enemies. The twister starts to push them back, but they use some stabbing mechanism in their feet to keep them on the train cars. Velvet grits her teeth and runs at them. The machines fire their cannons at her, but she evades each shot as she gets closer to them. When she gets right up to them, she swings her claw, using the wind coming off from it, to knock off one leg and then uses the rest of the energy to blow the first Paladin off the train car. Just when the second mech goes to crush her, Ruby and Oobleck jump over her, hitting the machine with their weapons. They then move onto opposite sides of it and fire off their weapons. The resulting explosion sends the Paladin flying off the train. Just as they're about to keep moving, Velvet stops and looks back, feeling like something is off further back.

"Ruby, Dr. Oobleck, you guys go on ahead. I'm going to check on the others," she says and runs back.

"Velvet, wait!" Ruby calls out to her, but Oobleck stops her.

"Trust your teammate, Ruby. I'm sure she'll be alright. Right now, we need to focus on stopping this train," he says.

Ruby hesitates, but eventually nods and they both move on ahead.

…

Meanwhile, Velvet jumps down into one car and looks between going forward, and going backward. She eventually decides on going backwards and moves into the next car. When she gets into the next car, she sees Weiss, on the ground as a White Fang Lt. wearing a different outfit than a normal member stands over her and raises up a large chainsaw, ready to finish her off. Velvet quickly moved and fires off a few shots at the Lt., making him reel back from Weiss. He looks up just in time to see Velvet's steel boot impact his face, sending him back.

"Don't hurt my friend," she warns him as she activates her gauntlet blade.

The Lt. shakes off the first strike, "Any friend of a Schnee is an enemy of mine. First you die, then she dies," he replies as he readies his chainsaw.

The two run at each other, and the Lt. swings his chainsaw at her side. However, Velvet twirls over it and swings her arm blade at his face again, making him stagger as she lands behind him. The Faunus swings his chainsaw at her again, but Velvet jumps over it goes for another blade strike. The Faunus grabs her arm though and throws her at some crates. However, Velvet lands on the side of them feet first and then pushes off of them right back at her opponent. She thrusts her arm blade at her opponent, who meets the attack with his chainsaw. The two weapons send sparks flying before Velvet flips over it and lands on the Lt.'s right side. The Faunus throws a left kick at her, but she sidesteps it and swings her left foot blade at his chest, nailing it, and then fires off a few gauntlet shots that make him stagger. She then activates her demon claw just as he regains his balance. He raises his chainsaw and then swings it down on her, but Velvet encases her claw in fire and grabs it, increasing the intensity of the flames to melt away the chain from the saw. With his weapon out of commission, Velvet grabs his skull and absorbs his strength until he passes out from having barely any energy left. With the threat over, Velvet moves to check on Weiss.

"Weiss, you okay?" she asks, concerned as she kneels next to her teammate.

Weiss groans as she holds her head and slowly gets up, "Ugh…V-Velvet, what happened…Wait…I guess I lost, huh?" she says.

"Don't worry. You did fine. I just finished off what was left of your opponent. Can you still fight?" she asks as she helps Weiss up.

"Uh, y-yeah, I should be fine," she says as she checks her rapier.

"Good, where are Yang and Blake?" Velvet asks.

"Blake went up ahead to try to get to the front of the train while I fought against that Lt. Meanwhile, Yang stayed behind somewhere in the back to fight against that girl that saved Torchwick back in Vale," Weiss says.

"I see. You go up ahead to help Blake. I'll head back to find Yang. We'll meet you guys at the front of the train," Velvet decides.

"Okay. Just be safe," Weiss says, to which Velvet nods, and then the two go in opposite directions.

Velvet goes through a few train cars, not finding anything or, thankfully, no enemies to get in her way. Eventually, she ends up in one car and finds Yang on the ground unconscious. Standing next to her is an older unknown woman. The woman is wearing a shallow cut black dress, five necklaces with an assortment of beads, a red girdle-belt, and a pair of matching gauntlets. A feather-like object is hanging from the right side of her skirt. She is also wearing black, thigh-length boots with a red splatter pattern. Covering her face is a fearsome full-face mask resembling a Creature of Grimm, with four eye slits, and appears to have long, somewhat spikey black hair. Her scabbard is blackish gray, with a rotary chamber filled with six types of dust, being held in her left hand. Velvet looks around and doesn't see the pink haired girl from Vale anywhere, so she thinks that girl must have retreated. However, this woman is an unknown and she can't quite tell if she saved Yang, or was about to finish her off before Velvet showed up.

"What did you do to Yang?" Velvet questions her as she activates her arm blade. The woman looks straight back at Velvet, but says nothing as she begins to turn around and walk away. "I didn't say you could walk away!" Velvet says and charges the woman.

The mysterious woman unsheathes her blade, a long red odachi sword, and quickly swings it around to block her attack. The blades clash for a moment before the two female fighters jump back. Velvet readies her blade while the mysterious woman decides to take a combat stance, wielding her blade with one hand while the other holds onto the scabbard. Velvet runs at her opponent, firing off a few shots as she gets closer. The woman easily deflects each shot with her blade before sheathing the blade. The rotary chamber spins around to a yellow Dust chamber, and then the woman swings it, sending out an arc of lightning at Velvet. Velvet flips over the strike and then twirls her body around while simultaneously activating her foot blades as she swings her right foot blade at the woman's face. The woman, however, easily blocks the strike, and then counters Velvet with a swing of her sword aimed at Velvet's neck. Velvet just manages to duck under the strike, but can't avoid the second strike and gets knocked back.

Landing on her feet, Velvet watches her opponent warily, who remains stationary and calm. A second later, Velvet runs at her again, and with all her blades, throws a tempest of steel at her opponent. Though there are three blades coming at her in quick succession, the woman manages to block each one. At one point, the two clash their blades as they stare closely into the eyes of one another. Velvet couldn't see it, but she could feel the woman smiling behind her mask for some reason.

"Ah, those eyes. I like those eyes. Those are the eyes of one who does what's necessary to survive. One who has KILLED to survive. I guess we have at least one thing in common," the woman says.

"You don't know a damn thing about me! I don't care who you are, but you're going down!' Velvet yells and then activates her demon claw.

The woman actually looks a little surprised at this, but manages to evade the attack when Velvet swings her claw at her. She then fires off a fire arte at the woman, but she slashes right through the attack. Next, the woman sheathes her blade again, with the rotary chamber spinning to a fire Dust chamber, and then swings out an arc of flames at Velvet. However, Velvet just raises her demon claw, and when it gets close, absorbs the attack into her. This surprises the woman even more.

"You can absorb Dust? Interesting. Even I didn't expect something like that," the woman notes.

"Whatever. Now, what did you do to Yang?" Velvet questions her again.

"Me? I saved her from that girl. After all…Yang is my daughter," the woman admits.

Velvet's eyes widen at hearing this and glances back between the woman and Yang, "You're Yang's mother? This whole time, she's been looking for you, and yet now you just show up, while she's knocked out! You owe her some answers!" Velvet yells.

"I saved her life today. That's about all she's gonna get from me," the woman says and swings her sword to create a red-black portal behind her.

Just as the woman goes to leave, Velvet runs at her, "You're not getting away-," she begins until the woman's blade is suddenly an inch away from her throat.

"Sorry, but I have better things to do than to babysit you kids. However, you interest me. What is your name?" she asks.

"…Velvet Crowe," Velvet replies.

"Velvet Crowe…Hopefully, we'll meet again. You have potential, but only time will tell if you'll live up to it," the woman says and sheathes her blade.

The woman walks through the portal, and it disappears. Velvet grits her teeth as she deactivates her demon claw, but then hears some groaning behind her and turns around to see Yang already getting back on her feet.

Velvet walks up to her, "Yang, are you alright?' she asks.

"Velvet? What are you- what happened?" Yang asks.

"Quite honestly, I have no idea. However, we need to move up front. The others are waiting for us," she says.

Yang nods and the two race up to the front of the train. They open up one hatch and climb up onto on car as they regroup with the rest of the team. However, they then see that not too far ahead of the train…is a dead end.

"What'll we do?!" Blake shouts.

Ruby looks at Weiss, who smiles and then stabs the ground in front of them. The team then gets encased in ice to protect them just in time before the train hits the dead end and everything goes dark. After a moment, Velvet slowly opens her eyes and groans as she holds her head and looks around. A little dizzy, she sees Weiss, Blake, and Yang okay, though in the same state as her. She looks to her right to find Ruby, unharmed, next to her and shows a small smile at seeing that she's okay. Looking around, she finds them all in the city square of Vale, with civilians all around them, wondering what happened. However, things quickly go bad when swarms of Grimm suddenly burst out from the hole in the ground and start attacking the civilians. Ruby and Velvet look at each other for a moment before getting a determined look on their faces.

 _"It never gets easy for us, huh…"_ Velvet mentally notes.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. What did you think about Velvet meeting Raven? I thought it would be interesting. Anyway, we're almost done with Volume 2. Can Team RVWBY stop the Grimm? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	34. Chapter 34: Breach

**Here we are at Chapter 34. It's the Volume 2 finale, folks. Let's get to it. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 34. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 34: Breach**

Team RVWBY remains surrounded by Grimm as they stand in the middle of the town square. They all look around for a moment, with their weapons drawn. The King Taijitu roars, and the Grimm charge at them, with the five members preparing for battle. First, Ruby jumps up and stabs her scythe blade into the ground as Beowolves encircle her. Ruby then runs up and spins her scythe, still stabbed in the ground, while she kicks the Grimm away as she moves in a circle. Next Yang jumps up, landing on the head of one Creep before using it as a trampoline to shoot up into the air. She fires her gauntlets, the rounds tearing into several Grimm while she is in the air. However, as she cocks her weapons, she turns around to see three Nevermores crash into her, sending her falling to the ground. However, Velvet conjures up a claw shield to catch her. Yang waves at her in thanks before getting back into the brawl. Meanwhile, Blake ducks under one strike from a Beowolf before slashing its head upwards and then stabbing it in the head. She then kneels on the ground and fires eight shots from her pistols, killing eight Creeps that try to attack her. Next, Weiss slashes two Beowolves before stabbing a third, and then conjures up a glyph before making a giant ice sword in thin air, swinging it to take out several more Grimm. Meanwhile, Velvet flips around and spins on one hand while her foot blades are out, shredding through several Creeps that get too close. After that, Velvet activates her gauntlet blade and beheads one Beowolf before jumping over and landing on the back of a second, only to impale its skull with her blade before jumping off it.

Yang hits the hood of one car on the street, lifting it up before she punches it at a few more Grimm, knocking them aside and crushing another. Velvet stands next to her as another group of Grimm charge at them. They smirk at each other and Yang smashes her fists together in flames while Velvet activates her demon claw. She absorbs a fire Dust crystal and then the two charge at the monsters. Both fighters jump and roll around each other as they unleash attack after attack through the horde, taking out any Grimm in their path. After a final combo punch one the last Grimm, they look back at their handy-work, and then slap each other a high-five.

Meanwhile, Ruby spins around while slicing her scythe at two Beowolves and then looks up to see the King Taijitu bearing its teeth at her and roaring. Ruby steps back a moment before she hears a loud boom sound behind her. She and the King Taijitu look up to see Nora, flying in on her war hammer, before she smashes it on the head of the large snake-Grimm, crushing it into the ground. Nora lands on the ground, next to her team that have just shown up to join the fight.

"Let's move!" Pyrrha says and they all run forth, while Jaune groans that Pyrrha stole his thunder.

Nora smashes her hammer into one Grimm while Ren kicks two before using the blades on his pistols to slash three times at another Grimm.

"Okay, who's first?" Jaune says while running before he stops as something big and black lands behind him. He turns around and looks up to see a big Ursa behind him, roaring at his face. "Oh-hoh-oh okay. You're first, huh? Heh-heh okay, no that's, that's fine," Jaune nervously says while stepping back from the Grimm.

Meanwhile, Pyrrha using her weapon in javelin form, stabs one Grimm before slashing another, then stabs a third before picking it up and throwing it over her. She then stabs another Creep in the mouth before looking over to see Jaune's situation. Jaune slowly walks back as the Ursa walks up to him.

"Totally fine. Done this before. Done this before…" Jaune reassures himself and then sighs.

Screaming madly, Jaune starts swinging his sword like a maniac repeatedly at the Ursa, dealing a flurry of hits onto the Grimm. Jaune stops a moment later and looks to see the Grimm fall onto the ground dead, to which Pyrrha smiles at her leader. Behind the dead Grimm, Sun and Neptune finally arrive on the scene.

"Nobody move! Junior detectives!" Sun says, showing a badge.

Neptune then pulls out his badge, "We have badges so you know it's official," he says and they fist bump each other.

Suddenly, a dead Beowolf lands in front of them, spooking them a bit. They look to their right to see Velvet as the culprit.

"If you two idiots are done, we could actually use a hand here!" she yells before firing off a few shots at a creep coming at her right side.

Meanwhile, Weiss spins around before stabbing the ground with her sword, sending out numerous ice spikes in front of her, impaling a few Beowolves. However, she doesn't notice an Ursa coming up from behind. She turns around just in time to see it raise its claw to crush her. However, the Grimm is suddenly smashed in the face by a fiery fist, thanks to Yang, who knocks the Grimm right into a nearby building. Weiss just looks surprised at the spectacle.

"Sorry, but she's too good for your claws, boys. She deserves someone with a little more…class," she says and then winks at Weiss.

Weiss rolls her eyes, but smiles anyway, "I'm not sure 'class' is the word I would use for you," she says as she flips over an Ursa and stabs it through the back of its head.

"Then what would you use? Beauty, hotness, passion, charm?" Yang asks as she fires off some shots at a few Creeps.

"Haven't decided yet. However, I won't let them get their claws on you either. Only I get to have that privilege," Weiss notes as she stands back-to-back with Yang.

"Oooh, Careful Weiss, there are people watching. Unless you're into that kind of thing," Yang jokes.

Weiss quickly blushes at this, "Now is not the time, you brute!" she yells.

Velvet slashes through another Beowolf, but then hears some noise above her. She looks up to see one of Ironwood's ships over the city, along with a few smaller vessels flying in.

"About time that he'd show up," Velvet mutters.

Everyone else looks up to see the ships as well. One Ursa tries to attack Ruby from behind, but Velvet blasts it away with a fire arte from her demon claw. Ruby waves at her before they look back up to the ships. The ships open up their rear doors, allowing many Atlesian Knight-200s to drop from the ships and into the city. Once they land, they start firing off their rifles at any Grimm they see, quickly turning the tide of the battle. Velvet kicks one Ursa back, and then flips around to stab through the side of its skull with her right foot blade. After that, she notices Emerald and Mercury joining the battle. Mercury runs up and jump kicks one Ursa away. He looks at Velvet and clicks his tongue at her, much to her annoyance, before running off somewhere else to fight. Meanwhile, Emerald walks down one street as the Grimm in front of her notice her presence. Emerald pulls out her weapons, a pair of green pistols, and starts firing them at the Grimm. The shots take out most of the Grimm, but one Ursa Major withstands the shots and gets close enough to strike. He swings his claws at her twice, but she backflips away from the Grimm. She then extends a pair of curved blades under the pistol barrels. She runs around the Ursa Major, slashing at its tough hide, and then swings her blades, with chains appearing from them and extending their range, at the Grimm. She jumps over it while doing a few more spinning attacks and lands on the ground behind the now dead Grimm.

Back at the tunnel entrance, a damaged Atlesian Paladin climbs out and then Zwei is seen jumping off of it before hitting a Beowolf in the head, knocking it away. Zwei then looks up as a bullhead airship flies by, showing Professor Port along with the second year team, Team CFVY, on board. She ship hovers over the city, and then Team CFVY jumps out of the airship. They land on the ground, with Velvet and Fox immediately running into the fray while Coco casually walks behind them, and Yatsuhashi stands behind her.

Yatsuhashi looks around as a number of Beowolves land around him, and then draws his large sword. As the Grimm move to attack him, he spins around and smashes his sword into the ground, creating a shockwave that knocks all the Grimm away and destroys the ground around him. Meanwhile, Fox and Velvet fight off some Grimm, with Velvet kicking away two Beowolves while Fox punches one Beowolf and then impales a Creep with his arm blades. Even while blind, Fox can notice the several Grimm in front of him, and charges at them. He punches and then backflip kicks one Ursa Major into the air. Before the Grimm hits the ground, Fox runs at it and throws a flurry of quick slash attacks with his arm blades at it before knocking it back into the air. As the Grimm falls closer to him, he reels back and double punches the Grimm, making its body bloat up for a moment before flying back and then exploding like a balloon, sending bones shards scattering everywhere and impaling the Grimm around it. Some of the shards fly at his teammates, but Yatsuhashi shields Velvet while Coco swings her handbag to knock them out of the way and continues walking casually ahead of them.

"Nice hustle Fox," she compliments him, playfully patting his butt as she walks ahead of him. "Good job," she says as he jumps back behind her. She walks up to a large Beowolf standing in front of her, roaring at her. Coco moves her aviators down to look at it. "YOU just destroyed my favorite clothing store," she says, readjusting her aviators and spitting on the ground. "Prepare to die," she says.

The large Beowolf swings its claw at her, but she deflects it away with her handbag and then kicks the Grimm in the groin area, sending it onto the ground. The Grimm looks up at her as she leans on one leg in front of hit, before Coco smashes her handbag onto its skull, killing it. She looks up to see a few more Grimm running at her. She swings her handbag around, knocking out two Beowolves and hitting a third, before kicking the third one away. She then jumps but as a Death Stalker tries to impale her with its stinger. Velvet then comes to her side, holding a small case as she's about to open it, but Coco stops her.

"Hey, come on, you used one whole semester building that up," she says, making Velvet hold back. "Don't waist it here," Coco says as she walks ahead of her.

Suddenly, her handbag opens up and transforms into a large, yellow colored gatling gun. She then fires her gatling gun, shredding the Death Stalker to pieces, then takes out several other Grimm and finally shoots it into the air at three large Nevermores, killing all three of them. The bodies of the dead Nevermore fall behind Team CFVY as they walk through the square. Meanwhile, Zwei walks up to Dr. Oobleck as Professor Port joins him. They look down one street to see a number of Grimm running at them. Using their weapons, they fire off several fireball-like shots at the Grimm, killing all of them. As they fall, Professor Goodwitch is seen walking ahead of them, using her telekinesis to take out two Grimm before she aims her riding crop at the tunnel entrance. Pieces of the street and the building behind the entrance starts to float back to the hole, and in a few seconds, the hole is sealed up, looking like it was never there in the first place. And with that, the battle is over.

The student teams, teachers, and friends join together in the square, and look to see Emerald and Mercury giving Roman Torchwick over to two Atlesian knights as they arrest him.

"Oh I can't believe that you've caught me. You've really taught me the error of my ways," he mockingly says as they take him onto their ship. "Hey, hey! Watch the hat!" he says.

Ruby looks at Emerald and Mercury as they walk up to her, all of them smiling. The people around them congratulate each other on a job well done as peace has been restored to the city.

…

Later that day, Team RVWBY sits at the edge of one of the landing platforms at Beacon overlooking the city as the Atlas ships fly over it.

"Well, we did it," Yang says.

"We did it," Blake adds.

"That ended being a lot more exciting than I originally thought," Velvet notes.

"If we don't get extra credit for that, I'm going to be seriously disappointed," Weiss says.

"Weiss, a two-headed snake literally crushed a bakery. I wouldn't count on it," Yang retorts.

"Then there was the Ursa you punched right into a bookstore," Velvet says, making Yang laugh nervously when Blake glares at her.

"Plus, I mean, we didn't solve everything. A lot of people were hurt, and we still don't even know why they did this, or who that mystery girl was," Ruby notes.

"Well, not every story has a neat and tidy ending," Weiss replies.

"We might not have all of the answers, but we do have a lot of dangerous people behind bars. And I think that is something we can be proud of," Blake says.

"Yeah, plus it looks like they were planning on using that train at a later date. We managed to mess with their plan, otherwise it might've ended a lot worse for Vale," Velvet says.

Ruby nods her head, "Yeah. And if anyone tries something like this again, we'll be there to stop them," Ruby says while Yang stretches her arms and falls back onto the ground.

"Yay, teamwork, commodore, good guys, go team, alright good job," Yang exhaustingly says as Zwei joins her before leaning on one elbow. "So, what now?" she asks.

"I'd suggest training for the tournament, but I think we have that covered at this point," Weiss replies.

"So then…" Blake begins.

"Time for bed?" Ruby suggests.

"Oh please, yes," Weiss agrees.

"Absolutely," Blake adds.

"I'm gonna sleep forever," Yang says as the girls get up to leave.

However, Ruby notices that Velvet hasn't moved from her spot, "Hey guys, you go on ahead. Velvet and I will catch up," she says.

"Okay…just don't do anything too mature now," Yang jokes, making Ruby blush.

"Ugh, come on, you perverted blonde haired brute," Weiss groans as she grabs Yang by the ear and starts pulling her away, with Blake in tow.

Ruby shakes off her blush and sits next to Velvet, "Hey, Velvet, is everything all right?" she asks.

Velvet sighs, "Honestly, I don't know. I'm just worried that what happened today, won't be the end of it, and that there may be something worse out there. I…I almost lost you, Ruby. I know you can handle yourself in a fight most of the time, but that still doesn't ease my worries when we go into an unknown, dangerous situation. Whatever's going on out there isn't over, and because I have no idea what's going on, I can't be as well prepared to stand against it and protect you. That thought…it scares me a little bit actually," Velvet admits as she looks at Ruby.

"Velvet…," Ruby mutters, but then takes Velvet's right hand in hers. "Velvet, we're training to become huntresses. Of course there's going to be dangerous situations out there for us, things that we may not be ready for. But…I know that as long as we face those challenges together, then we'll be fine. You've always had my back, and I'll always have yours. And we have our friends with us, too. As long as we never give up and look out for each other, we'll make it through anything," Ruby says.

"Ruby…" Velvet mutters in awe as she stares straight into Ruby's eyes.

Without thinking, Velvet raises her left hand to Ruby's check, brushing it slightly and surprising Ruby. Velvet then slowly leans closer, and Ruby finds herself performing the same action until finally, their eyes close and their lips meet in a warm, gentle kiss. They both can feel the passion and affection from one another as they remain like that for a few more seconds before they have to finally separate for air.

Ruby slowly opens her eyes, "Velvet, I…" Ruby trails off.

"I'll be there for you, no matter what. And even if I'm not physically there, I'll always be with you here," Velvet says, placing her hand on Ruby's heart.

Ruby slowly smiles, "I know you will," she says, and they decide to have one more kiss while they still can.

What the two don't notice is one lone red-eyed raven perched up on a lamppost a short distance away, watching them for a moment before it takes off into the skies.

…

A little later, Ozpin is seen in his office after having an unpleasant conversation with the Vale counsel and Ironwood involving the breach and security for the upcoming Vytal Festival.

 _"It seems things are becoming a lot more complicated now. I'd just wish my students didn't have to get involved in the matter. I fear they may not be ready for the truth that lies beyond the kingdom's walls,"_ Ozpin thinks before he hears the elevator ding behind him. "Come in," he says.

He turns around in his chair to see Velvet Crowe walking into his office.

"You wanted to see me, Professor Ozpin?" she asks as she walks up to his desk.

"Yes. Please, take a seat, Velvet. We have a few things we need to discuss," he says, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk.

Velvet sits down, "So, what's up?" she asks.

Ozpin sips his coffee, "After all the…excitement you've been through, I don't want to keep you for too long, so I'll keep this short…Who are you, Velvet Crowe? Or rather…WHERE are you really from?..."

* * *

 **And that's the Volume 2 Finale. Velvet and Ruby finally kissed! I've been waiting for so long to write that into the perfect scene, and I think I did pretty good with it. It seems now Ozpin seeks the truth from Velvet. Will Velvet tell him the truth? Will Team RVWBY be prepared for what awaits them beyond the breach? Find out in the beginning of Volume 3 in the story. Until then, please Read and Review.**


	35. Chapter 35: Pool-Side Madness

**Here we are at Chapter 35. The next few chapters will be some filler chapters before we get into Volume 3. I got this idea from one of the RWBY Chibi episodes, though the chapter will not be a RWBY Chibi version (although I have thought about doing a chibi version of this story). Anyway, I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 35. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 35: Pool-side madness**

A day had passed since the breach in Vale. Because of the chaos that ensued, and the fact that the huntsmen were needed to fix up what was left of the mess and keep an eye on things for a while, classes were cancelled for a few days. This gave the students, especially the ones who helped with the breach get some rest after a hard-fought battle. This, the students had no problem going along with, including Team RVWBY. Speaking of the said team, they are currently in their dorm, taking the first day off to relax a little bit. Ruby is reading some comics, Blake is reading one of her books, and Weiss is getting some studying done ahead of time. Velvet is polishing her gauntlet blade. Finally, Yang is…not in the dorm, nor has she been for a while now.

This, Ruby finally decides to talk about, "So does anyone have any idea where Yang is? She's been gone for a little longer than usual," she asks.

"Beats me. As long as it's quiet, I'm happy that I can get some studying done," Weiss says.

"Silence is golden," Blake adds.

"Didn't she say that she was going for a training workout? That was a while ago," Velvet notes.

"Hmm, I hope she didn't get into any kind of trouble again," Ruby worries.

"If she did, it shouldn't be as bad as when she accidently sent a pie into Professor Goodwitch's face," Velvet says, making Ruby and Blake snicker.

Even Weiss couldn't help but let a smile out at that, "Serves her right for doing something so childish," Weiss mutters.

Just then, Yang bursts through the door into their room, showing a huge grin on her face.

"Hey, guys, did you hear?!" she almost yells.

"Hear what? And why are you yelling?" Weiss says.

"The school just installed a new pool on campus! They thought it would be a good idea for the students to unwind after the whole breach incident, as well as a good source to rest after hard days of classes and fighting monsters. Trying to give them some sense of normalcy before they graduate. Isn't that awesome?!" she explains.

"A pool? That sounds like fun," Ruby cheers.

"I didn't think the school would do something like that," Blake notes.

"I don't see what the appeal is about a pool," Weiss says, once more playing the role of the killjoy.

"Weiss, this is the perfect opportunity for us to relax for a little bit. We don't have any classes for a few days, so why not enjoy the break while we still have it?" Yang says.

"Because I'd rather use this extra time to get ahead on my studying," Weiss deadpans.

Yang then walks over, sits next to Weiss, and wraps an arm around her shoulders, "Come on, you're at least a week ahead on any homework we got. And we've all been through a rough mission. We all need this…Besides, don't you want the chance to see me in a swimsuit?" Yang whispers the last part to Weiss.

Weiss' cheeks turn red as she suddenly pictures the image of Yang in a hot bikini showing off her figure in her head. Honestly…she wouldn't mind seeing that image in real life.

"Well…I guess we have done quite a bit to deserve a break," she finally relents.

"Sweet. How about you Blake? You in?" she ask the Faunus.

Blake shrugs her shoulders, "I suppose so. But only as long as I don't have to get too wet," Blake says.

"Will you be coming too, Velvet?" Ruby asks.

"Yeah, this way you can see Ruby in a cute little swimsuit," Yang teases them.

"YANG!" Ruby yells, embarrassed.

Hearing this makes Velvet picture Ruby in a red swimsuit showing quite a bit of skin, a scene making her blush a deep red.

Velvet shakes her blush off, "I guess I could come, but…I don't have a swimsuit," Velvet quickly regrets saying this as she sees the smirks on Yang and Weiss' faces as they stare at her. "Oh no," she mutters.

…

Later that day, Velvet once more finds herself in a clothing store in Vale, one of the lucky stores that didn't get damaged or destroyed in the breach. Along with her are Weiss and Yang as the two zip around the store, looking for the right swimsuit for Velvet.

"Hey, how about this one? This will definitely get Ruby's eye," Yang motions to a two-piece bikini…that didn't have a lot of fabric on it.

"Yeah, and possibly be arrested for public nudity? Forget it. If it involves Ruby, the point is to impress her, not traumatize her," Weiss retorts before she pulls up a modest one piece with frills. "How about this one? I think it would look lovely on you," she says.

"I'm not into frills. And that doesn't look like it would suit me in my opinion," Velvet rejects the suggestion.

"Geez, this is just like when we were searching for a dress for you back before the dance. Can't you even try to have some sense of fashion?" Yang asks.

"Let me think about it…No," Velvet deadpans.

Yang groans, "Let's just keep looking. We'll find one…eventually," she says as the two leave Velvet to comb through the store again.

Velvet just sits on a chair, resting her chin on her hands as she waits for them to come back with more bad ideas.

"You'd think that at least Weiss Schnee would know her way in a clothing store. Well, I guess she's only good with high-society type clothing," she hears behind her and turns around to see Coco walking up to her.

"Hey Coco, what's up?" Velvet asks.

"Well, since my favorite clothing store is still being repaired, I had no choice but to come here. Guess you're lucky I did. Let me guess, they're looking for swimsuits for you, and are having little luck?" Coco asks with a knowing smile.

Velvet sighs, "Guess you've been listening. Instead of wasting time denying it, I'm just gonna ask: you think you can help?" she asks.

Coco chuckles, "I thought you'd never ask," she says, smirking.

…

The next day, Team RVWBY went to the school pool for some relaxation, carrying a bag each for the day. Luckily for them, there weren't that many people around. When they got there, they found that Team JNPR along with Sun were there already. Ren, Jaune were wearing swim trunks in their respective colors, while Sun was wearing a red pair and sitting up on the lifeguard's chair. Meanwhile, Pyrrha was sitting on one of the chairs, wearing a fairly modest bronze bikini while Nora had on a pink two piece bikini.

"Hey guys, decided to go diving into Davy Jones' locker too, huh?" Nora asks as she jumps up out of the pool, wearing some goggles.

"Yeah, after that hard-fought battle, we decided to take this time to rest up a bit," Yang replies.

"Um, why is Sun sitting on the lifeguard's chair?" Blake asks.

"Hey, Blake. I've been asked to be the lifeguard today. Don't worry, you're safe with me scoping out the scene," Sun says.

"Gee, I feel so much safer already," Blake sarcastically mutters.

"Hello again. Guys, the changing rooms are on your left. We'll be waiting," Pyrrha says.

"Thanks Pyrrha. Let's go, team," Ruby says and the group make their way to the changing rooms.

A few minutes later, three of the girls come out in their swimsuits.

"Wow, those look great on you guys!" Sun notes.

"Really rocking the swimsuit look, my friends," Nora adds.

First is Ruby, wearing a red one piece swimsuit, practical for someone her age. Next up is Weiss, wearing a white skirtini with frills. Finally, there's Blake, wearing a black two piece that modestly covers her chest.

Ruby blushes a little bit in embarrassment, "Um, thanks I guess. I'm a little embarrassed about wearing this in public. Especially with girls like Blake and Pyrrha around, who look way cuter than me in a swimsuit," she says.

"Oh, don't worry about that Ruby. You look nice. I'm sure Velvet will say the same thing," Blake supports her.

"Wait a minute, just Pyrrha and Blake? What about me?" Weiss says, glaring at Ruby.

"Um well, heh-heh, you see-," Ruby stutters.

"Guess Ice Queen doesn't count since she still leaves much to be desired," Sun jokes, only for a blushing Weiss to through a bottle of sunscreen in his face, making him fall out of his chair. "OW!"

Weiss crosses her arms and looks away, "I'm still developing, thank you," she mutters.

"Oh Weiss," she hears behind her and looks back, eyes widening a little bit. Behind her is Yang, wearing a yellow string bikini that really shows off her curves and…assets. Weiss wanted to be jealous of Yang, but she couldn't help but marvel at the beauty standing before her, blushing madly. "So, what do you think?" Yang asks with a knowing smirk on her face.

"Um…," Weiss can't find the words to speak.

Yang saunters over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "Aw, I knew you'd like it," she teases Weiss, enjoying the crimson blush on the heiress' face.

Jaune chuckles a little bit before he looks over and then freezes in place, eyes the size of saucers, "Whoa…" he says.

The rest of his team look over to where he's looking at as well, "No…way…" Nora mutters.

Finally noticing their behavior, Team RVWBY look over and see quite a sight. Standing before them is Velvet Crowe, wearing a black and red pretzel bikini that really showed off her figure, along with her usual bandages. Ruby was having a hard time tearing her eyes away as she stared at her girlfriend in a swimsuit. What's even more shocking is the fact that Velvet is holding her left arm and blushing a little bit. THE Velvet Crowe, actually looking a little embarrassed at wearing a swimsuit.

"Wow, who'd a thought we'd see Velvet Crowe in a swimsuit," Nora notes.

"I must admit, you're really pulling that look off, Velvet," Pyrrha compliments her.

Velvet walks up to Ruby, "So…what do you think?" she asks.

Ruby's blush and inability to answer is the only answer she gets.

"I think it's safe to say that she likes it," Blake answers for her.

"Yes, I'd say that suit truly becomes you," Weiss adds.

"Well, once again it was thanks to Coco, and not you or Yang. You two do have some style, but it only seems to work for you two. Not really for me," Velvet says, making Weiss and Yang laugh nervously again.

"Well, I'm not gonna let this chance slip by. I gotta take a picture," Yang says as she reaches for her scroll.

"Try and take a picture and I'll drown you in that pool," Velvet warns her.

Yang holds her hands up in surrender, "Okay, I really don't feel like dying today. Alright everyone, let's hit the pool!" Yang cheers before jumping in the pool.

Ruby and Nora, who grabs Ren, join her and jump in as well. Meanwhile, Weiss and Blake decide to sit next to Pyrrha and just relax with Blake reading a book, and Weiss trying to get a tan. Jaune decides to join the group in the pool, but just as he gets ready to jump in, his foot slips and he ends up falling and bouncing off the ground, head first, into the pool.

"Jaune, are you okay?!" Pyrrha asks, concerned.

Jaune slowly rises up from the water, holding his head in pain before he gives her a sheepish smile and a thumbs up. Meanwhile, Velvet calmly enters the pool, taking in the cold feeling of the water touching her skin as she slowly swims into the center of the pool to turn around and just idly float around. After all she has gone through in the past few days, the soothing feeling of the water on her body felt really nice. She closed her eyes as she just let herself be moved by the water, relishing the moment. For a few minutes, she just floats around, nothing interrupting this tranquil moment, until…

"CANNONBALL!" she hears Nora yell, who suddenly crashes into the water next to her, ruining her peaceful moment.

Velvet falls under the waves before she pops her head out and narrows her eyes at Nora, who just giggles.

"That's it!" Velvet yells and chases Nora.

However, even now Nora has too much energy and makes it difficult for Velvet to catch her in the water. After swimming around for a few minutes, Velvet decides to give up and proceeds to exit the pool. However, for any of the guys nearby (except for Jaune, Ren, and Sun who knew better), and some of the girls, time suddenly slowed down as they watch Velvet step out of the pool, hair wet, and water dripping down her body. Honestly, they all thought that they had just died and gone to Heaven at seeing such refined beauty. Velvet walks over to where the Pyrrha, Weiss, and Blake are sitting; grabbing a towel to dry herself off.

"Sorry about Nora. She's…extraordinary," Pyrrha apologizes.

"It's fine, though I would've liked to relax in the water for at least a few more minutes," Velvet says as she dries her hair a little bit. Velvet then put a towel down on one seat and lays down, putting some sunscreen on before just relaxing beneath the sun with her hands resting behind her head. "I'll probably go back in, but I need to rest after trying to catch Nora. Guess that was a bad move on my part," she says.

Blake chuckles, "Sometimes I wonder where she gets all that energy," she notes before going back to her book.

"Maybe she has a big cup of coffee in the morning?" Weiss suggests.

Ren swims up to the side of the pool near them at hearing this, "No, I make sure she NEVER gets any coffee. That would be a disaster," he says.

"Hey Ren, how about you, me, Ruby, Nora, and Jaune play a game of Marco Polo?" Yang calls out.

"Come on Ren, it'll be fun," Nora says.

Ren sighs, "Like I said, too much energy as it is," he says before he swims back to them.

With that said and done, the rest of the girls just close their eyes and relax under the sun.

 _"Now that I think about it, this actually isn't too bad. I might be able to get used to this. I guess when you've been fighting as long as I have, a little day off like this is a nice change of pace,"_ she breathes a sigh of relief.

However, after a few minutes, a few male students walked up to Velvet. Hearing footsteps, she opened her eyes and glanced to her left to see three guys approach her.

"Hey, you're Velvet Crowe, right?" one asks, this guy having purple hair swept to one side.

"Who wants to know," she asks. _"I figured something like this would happen eventually today."_

"Well, we we're hoping you'd like to come and hang out with us today. We can show you a really great time," another one says, this guy having tanned skin and short, dark green hair.

"Sorry, not interested," Velvet shoots them down.

The guy with the purple hair, however, doesn't take the hint as he sits next to Velvet on her seat, "Oh, I get it now. We've just met and you don't want to go off somewhere with a group of guys you don't know. Well, how about we get to know each other better first?" the guy asks as he inches a little too close for comfort.

While Ruby is playing, she notices the exchange and quickly swims over and gets out of the pool, "Hey, what's going on?" she asks Velvet.

"These guys won't take the hint that I'm not interested," Velvet replies.

"Why don't you guys leave her alone? If she said no, she means no," Ruby says.

"Pipe down, shrimp. This doesn't concern you…Now, where were we-," the guy sitting next to Velvet begins until his face is put in a vice grip by Velvet's demon claw.

"You know, it's not a smart idea to insult my GIRLFRIEND like that. I suggest you apologize to her…before I throw you across the water like a little stone and send you crying back to your mother," Velvet threatens him.

The other guys in the group get ready to help him out, but suddenly Sun jumps in between them, carrying his staff with him.

"Now, now, don't make me use this. I may be a lifeguard today, but I still won't hesitate to beat a few punks into submission," he says, twirling his staff around.

The two guys back off, and Velvet tightens her grip on the leader, "Now then, I believe you owe my girlfriend something," she says and moves the guy's head around, changing her grip so he could speak.

"I-I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't know you two were dating," he apologizes to Ruby.

"Um, thank you," Ruby replies.

"Much better. Now then…" Velvet says and tosses the poor guy into the pool, hard. The guy's friends fish him out and they make a break for it. Velvet deactivates her demon claw and sighs at having to deal with more drama. "Are you okay, Ruby?" Velvet asks.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I was hoping to have a relaxing day at the pool, not all this. I'm sorry you had to go through that," Ruby says.

"It's not your fault Ruby. Guys are going to be stupid. Besides, last time I checked, you're my girlfriend. I'd spend all day, every day, with you over anyone else," Velvet replies, smiling.

Ruby smiles back, but then suddenly someone grabs her by her legs and pulls her back into the pool. The culprit turns out to be Yang.

"No one said you could just quit on us like that, Ruby. That means you're 'it' now. You'd better catch us," Yang says before she quickly swims away.

Ruby puffs her cheeks and pouts, but then notices Velvet getting back into the pool next to her.

"Want some help? Yang never said that I couldn't 'casually' swim by and whisper their positions to you," Velvet offers.

"Did I ever tell you that you're awesome?" Ruby says, smiling again.

"Maybe once or twice," Velvet says and they start swimming to where the others are.

Velvet ends up swimming under and ahead of Ruby, keeping her head above the water and just in front of Ruby's face. Ruby takes this chance to steal a quick peck on her lips, the both of them smiling before they continue their swim.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Just a little idea that I couldn't pass up on writing into the story. It'll be a while before we actually get into Volume 3, but we'll get there soon enough. Well, Ruby and Velvet's relationship is steadily progressing. What awaits them in the future? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	36. Chapter 36: First Date

**Here we are at Chapter 36. We've now reached over 200 followers in this story! A quick shout out to all those who have been favoriting and following this story. Thank you! Now let's continue with another filler chapter that will have a little bit of 'fun' in it. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 36. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 36: First Date**

A few days have passed since Team RVWBY's day at the pool, and classes are now back in session at Beacon. Though most of the students missed their little break, they at least could look forward to the upcoming Vytal Festival that would be starting in the near future. Things have been going back to normal at Beacon at this point. Meanwhile, the members of Team RVWBY have gotten back into their regular routine with their schedules, both in and out of the classroom. However, the main difference was that people no longer bothered Velvet anymore with trying to get a date with her. After seeing very clearly, both at the dance and at the pool the other day that Ruby and Velvet are a couple, they knew to back off now that she was taken. Nowadays though, some of them started bothering Ruby about it. Some had asked Ruby how she and Velvet became a thing or how she won Velvet's heart. A few had asked if Velvet had a twin sister, but of course Ruby told them no. However, the worst ones were the people that tried to bribe or even intimidate Ruby into breaking up with Ruby. Of course, once Velvet and Yang found out about this…well…Let's just say that things got pretty busy in the school infirmary.

After Velvet and Yang had 'convinced' enough of the other students to leave Ruby alone, that problem quickly went away, much to Ruby's relief, though she did feel a bit bad about the people Velvet and Yang 'talked' to. However, while that problem had been solved, a new one is now occupying Velvet's mind. Even though she and Ruby are together now, she hasn't taken Ruby out on a date yet, and she had no idea on what to do for it. Currently, she was in the library, studying, except she was having a hard time doing even that.

 _"Damn it, I know Ruby and I haven't been together for that long, but still. Isn't usually common that people would go out on a date BEFORE they officially become a couple? Only, I have no idea what to do about that. Battle is one thing, but romance is something I have no experience in. Ugh, I wish there was a way to figure this out,"_ Velvet mentally groans as she reads through her book.

"…So, care to tell me what's bothering you?" a voice suddenly rings out.

Velvet's eyes widen and her head pops up to see Blake sitting right across from her at the table, resting her head on her right hand and wearing her usual stoic expression on her face.

"What, when did you get here?" Velvet asks, surprised that Blake managed to sneak up on her like this.

"Not too long, but if I was able to sneak up on you like this without you noticing, then there must be something bothering you. Is there someone still bothering Ruby again?" she asks.

"No, after Yang and I showed them the inside of a hospital room, they all backed off. It's just…It's stupid," Velvet replies.

"Come on, Velvet, you can tell me. I promise whatever it is, I can help," Blake encourages her.

Velvet eventually sighs, "I just…I want to take Ruby out on a date, but I don't know what to do about that. It would be our first date, and I want it to be special. She's made my so happy, and I want to repay that in kind. I just don't know how to do it," she admits. Hearing this makes Blake giggle a little bit. "What's so funny?" Velvet glares at her.

"Oh, nothing. It's just a little weird that you'd be worrying about something like that. Weird, but also really sweet. Tell you what, how about I help you figure out the perfect date for Ruby?" Blake offers.

"You'd really help me with this?" Velvet asks.

"Of course. That's what friends are four. But, I also think that one other person can help out too. Give me a sec," Blake says before pulling out her scroll and calling a number. After a few rings, someone answers. "Yang, are you there?" she says, putting the scroll on speaker.

"Hey, Blake, what's up?" Velvet hears Yang on the other end.

"You and me are going to help Velvet here plan out her first date with Ruby," Blake says.

"Blake, what are you doing?!" Velvet quietly shrieks.

"Really?! Hold on one second," Yang replies and then hangs up the call. The two girls wait at the table in peace, until a few seconds later, with the sudden speed of Ruby, Yang shows up next to them. "You're taking Ruby out on a date?! It's about time. Okay, so what do you need to know?" Yang asks, excitement burning right off her.

"Wait, Blake, are you sure this is a good idea?" Velvet asks the bookworm.

"If you want to take Ruby on the best date ever, then you need to get the knowledge on what Ruby likes. And who'd better for that than her own sister," Blake says, gesturing to Yang.

"But…Yang, are you sure you're okay with this? I thought you'd be against me taking Ruby out on a date," Velvet asks.

"Well, one, you're not a guy, so that's one less issue. Two, I know you, and I know how much you care about Ruby, so I don't have to worry about you doing anything that would hurt her or pressure her into something that she doesn't want to do, or is not ready to do. And three, the fact that you're worrying about trying to make this date so perfect for my sister shows how much you care about her. I'm not worried. So, what do you want to know?" Yang asks.

"Well…do you have any ideas on how to make this date truly special for her?" Velvet asks.

At hearing this, Yang gets a mischievous smirk on her face, "I have a few ideas. Care to pitch in, Blake?" she asks her partner.

"I don't see why not," Blake says, also showing a knowing smirk.

 _"I'm starting to think that this was a bad idea,"_ Velvet thinks.

…

The next morning, Velvet goes looking for Ruby, to ask a very important question. Luckily, Yang said that she could find Ruby at the weapons forge since she doesn't have any morning classes that day. After walking around several hallways, each step doing little to ease the anxiety in her, Velvet eventually stops in front of the doors to the forge.

Velvet takes a deep breath, "Here goes nothing. No backing out now," she mutters and opens the door.

She walks in to see a few students at different stations, working on their weapons from repairs to tuning jobs, to upgrades. Walking through the room, she finds her girlfriend at one of the stations in the back, working on Crescent Rose. Velvet always did find it a little cute how meticulous someone like Ruby could be when it came to her 'sweetheart'. Of course, sometimes she felt a little jealous that the scythe got that kind of attention from Ruby and not her. But then again, Ruby only ever did give kisses to Velvet…probably. Anyway, Velvet walks up behind Ruby, glancing over her shoulder to see Ruby using a drill on sections of the weapon. Knowing how focused Ruby can be when she's working on her weapon, Velvet slowly leans in and plants a kiss on Ruby's right cheek, spooking her as she bolts up.

"Ah! What-oh Velvet, what are you doing here?" Ruby asks as she puts the drill down.

"I came to ask you something," Velvet says.

"Oh, well what is it?" Ruby asks.

 _"Now or never,"_ Velvet mentally prepares herself. "How would you…like to go on a…date with me…this weekend?" she hesitantly asks, blushing a little bit.

Ruby's eyes shine at hearing this as she jumps up and wraps her arms around Velvet, "Oh Velvet, I would love to go out on a date with you! I mean we are together already, but this'll be our first official date. I'm so excited!" she cheers.

"Yes, yes, calm down. I'm happy about it too," Velvet replies as Ruby lets go.

"So, do you have anything planned for our date?" Ruby asks, trying to keep still, and failing.

"Yes, I have a few things planned for it. But, it's a surprise. I want it to be special," Velvet says.

"Oooh, I like surprises. Okay, I'll be sure to be ready for it. What time do you want to meet up for it?" Ruby asks again.

"How about right before lunch. Sound like a plan?" Velvet asks.

"Yes, that works for me. Oh, this is going to be awesome!" Ruby cheers again.

 _"You have no idea,"_ Velvet thinks.

…

The weekend could not have come fast enough for Ruby and Velvet. With each passing day before then, Ruby became more and more excited, much to Weiss' slight displeasure. Luckily Blake and Yang were able to keep both of them calm respectively. However, now the time has come. Ruby and Velvet are at the landing docks, waiting for their airship to arrive. They decided to wear their attire from their investigation for the date, since they really didn't have anything fancy other than their formal dresses, and those weren't needed for this occasion.

"So, you ready for our date?" Velvet asks, noticing her girlfriend practically bouncing up and down on her feet.

"I've been waiting forever. Well more like a few days, but they felt like forever. So, where are we going first?" Ruby asks.

"You'll see. I told you, it's supposed to be a surprise today," Velvet says before their airship arrives. "Come on, let's get going," Velvet says, taking Ruby's hand in her own as they board the airship.

The airship was mostly full of people, students mainly looking to head to the main city for the day. Velvet and Ruby just sat at on one seat together; Ruby leaning her head on Velvet's shoulder with a huge smile on her face. A few people glanced at them, but quickly left them alone when Velvet glared back at them. After a short flight from the school, their airship lands in the city, and they disembark off from their ride.

"Okay, now can you tell me where we're going?" Ruby asks.

Velvet chuckles, "Calm down, we're going to get some lunch first. The spot where I picked out is one I'm sure you'll like," Velvet replies as they begin walking through the city.

…

Meanwhile, on another airship landing at the same time as the one that Ruby and Velvet were on, Yang, Blake, and Weiss step out and Yang quickly looks around to see Ruby and Velvet walking away into the city.

"Remind me again why we're here?" Weiss asks, irritated and with her hands on her hips.

"Because I want to spy on Ruby and Velvet as they have their first date. Why wouldn't we be here?" Yang replies.

"Oh, I don't know, because we could use this time for some studying, or training. More importantly, this isn't any of our business. It's just wrong to spy on them like this," Weiss retorts.

"Oh, come on Weiss, you don't have to be the perfect student ALL the time. And besides, Ruby is my sister, so this IS my business," Yang counters, making Weiss clench her teeth.

"Are you planning on spying on them throughout their entire date?" Blake asks, crossing her arms.

"No need for that. Just until they plan on heading back to Beacon. That's when the best part of their date begins, and when we need to give them some privacy, as we planned," Yang says.

"Planned'? Wait, don't tell me that they're going to…" Weiss trails off as her face turns red.

"No, don't worry, they're not going to do that. I made sure of it…But look at you, Miss Weiss Schnee, with such dirty thoughts going on in your head. For shame," Yang dramatically jokes.

"Shut up, you blonde brute! Ugh, why in the world did I agree to go on a date with you?" she asks herself.

"Because I'm irresistible," Yang teases her with a wink.

"That's debatable," Weiss deadpans.

"If you two are done, then we should probably get going before we lose Ruby and Velvet completely," Blake reminds them of their objective.

"Oh yeah, almost forgot. To lunch!" Yang cheers as the three begin walking to where Ruby and Velvet went.

…

Velvet and Ruby walk through the city, hand-in-hand as the older girl leads her girlfriend to their first destination for the day. They look around, seeing more decorations up as the Vytal Festival comes closer to Vale. Velvet can't help but smile at seeing Ruby look all over the place as she looks at all the stores with decorations and signs, and all the new people that are coming to Vale. After a few minutes of walking, Velvet spies the sign of the first stop on their date. It was a sign for a little Italian food restaurant.

"Alright, feel like having some pizza?" Velvet asks Ruby.

"Yes, that sounds nice. I'm hungry," Ruby replies.

Velvet had thought about taking Ruby to a spot with a little more class, but then again, neither of them were really into that kind of thing, and they weren't exactly dressed for such an occasion. Maybe another time in the future. They enter into the restaurant and are able to quickly get a table and not too long after that, they ordered for a simple pizza dish. Velvet did have other places planned for Ruby on this date, and so eating too much before then would make them too tired for the walk. Meanwhile, across the street from the restaurant is a local café, where the rest of the team is spying on them. Yang has a pair of binoculars as she watches them from a distance.

"So, how's it looking so far?" Blake asks as she drinks her tea.

Yang sees Ruby snicker at something Velvet says as they eat their lunch, "Well, it looks like everything is going well so far," Yang says as she watches through the binoculars.

"Sooner or later, either they're gonna notice us, or someone is going to call the cops on us. And if the latter happens, I do not know you two," Weiss notes.

"No one's going to do that, and there's no way that Velvet is going to notice us while she's focused on Ruby. And vice versa for Ruby, plus she's not as experienced as Velvet in that sort of thing. Now, pipe down. This may get good," Yang replies.

Back with the date, Velvet and Ruby have already gone through most of their pizza since they're sharing it.

"So, are you having a good time so far, Ruby?" Velvet asks.

"Yes, it's actually been a long time since I last had some pizza. I know not to eat it too much, but it's nice every once in a while," Ruby replies as she finishes her last slice.

"I hope so. Just don't eat too much. We still have other places to go to," Velvet says.

"Where are we going next?" Ruby asks.

"Like I said before, it's a surprise," Velvet says, making Ruby puff her cheeks a little bit.

Eventually, the two finish their lunch and leave the restaurant to head to their next destination. Walking through the city as it gets later in the day, Velvet keeps an eye out for the next destination on her list.

 _"As I'm sure you're well aware, Ruby is a total weapon geek. Luckily there's this one place in Vale that can satisfy that part of her easy…"_ Yang's words echo in her mind as they continue walking.

Soon enough, they find themselves standing in front of a weapon shop for local huntsmen. Ruby smiles brightly at getting a chance to see the weapons inside, and quickly moves inside, with Velvet following behind, smiling and shaking her head at her girlfriend's antics. Meanwhile, Yang, Weiss, and Blake stand outside the window to peer through the glass, watching them inside. Velvet follows behind Ruby as the little red-hood walks throughout every square inch of the shop, getting a real good luck at each and every weapon up for display and for sale. From Dust rounds to throwing knives to explosives. For someone like Ruby, it was like heaven, even more so with Velvet around. The store clerk comes up and asks them if there's anything they are looking for specifically, but they politely deny the service as they were really just looking around. They look around the store for a little while longer, until they decide that they've spent enough time in the store and prepare to leave.

"Oh, crap, they're coming!" Yang says and the three quickly move to hide in an alley next to the store, peeking their heads out just enough to see Ruby and Velvet leave the store.

As the couple get further away, the trio of spies start following them again. What they don't know…is that Velvet is already aware of them following them. However, she didn't want to say anything or else it might ruin her date with Ruby. But, it still made her role her eyes at them. Later in the day, after walking around for a while longer, Velvet decides it's time for the next spot in the date plan. Velvet begins leading Ruby down another path in the city.

"Still having fun, Ruby?" Velvet asks.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes! I'm having a lot of fun. Thanks again for this Velvet," Ruby cheers.

"Don't thank me yet. We still have a few more things to do before it's time to head back," Velvet says.

"Like what?" Ruby asks.

"Oh, I don't know, something like…" Velvet trails off as she looks ahead of them to eye a certain sign.

Ruby follows her direction and sees the same sign, her smile becoming huge at where she's looking.

"Velvet, are you serious?!" Ruby asks, full of energy.

"Yes, I'm serious," Velvet replies, chuckling a little bit.

In front of them is a bakery known for its sweets, something Velvet knows Ruby enjoys quite a bit.

"You're not kidding with me right? We're going there next, right?" Ruby asks, her mouth moving a little faster than normal.

"Yes, I told you that I wanted this first date to be special. I assume the local bakery could help with that. Come on, let's go before they run out of cookies," Velvet says as they walk towards the bakery.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Well, so far Velvet's date for Ruby is going well, but it's not over yet, and there's still one more surprise Velvet has in store for Ruby before the day is over. Will the date continue to go so well? Will Yang realize that Velvet knows she's watching her? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	37. Chapter 37: Date Night - Part 2

**Here we are at Chapter 37. Time for part two of the first date between Velvet and Ruby. Hopefully Yang won't mess this up. Anyway, I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 37. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 37: Date Night – Part 2**

Velvet and Ruby walk into the bakery, while Yang's group hold back a moment before spying on them through the store window.

Ruby and Velvet find a table near the back to themselves, and Velvet helps Ruby into her seat.

"So what would you like? You get to choose," Velvet asks.

Ruby hums in thought, "Hm, I think I'll start out with some strawberry cake for right now. Can you get a slice for each of us?" Ruby asks.

"While I don't have much of a sweet tooth, I guess I can make an exception for you. I'll be right back," Velvet says and walks up to the front counter.

"Good afternoon, mam. How may I help you today?" the cashier asks.

"Two slices of strawberry cake, for now please," Velvet replies.

"Very good. I'll be back in a sec," the cashier says before leaving the front. Velvet waits while the cake is getting prepared. She looks back to see Ruby waving to her, which she returns with a smile. A moment later, the cashier returns with two plates, each carrying a slice of the cake she ordered. "Here we go, two slices of strawberry cake. Is there anything else you want?" he asks.

"No, that will be all for now. Thank you," Velvet says and pays for the cake before returning to her table. "I believe this is your cake," she says as she places one plate in front of Ruby. Ruby gets a huge smile on her face and even starts drooling a little bit at seeing the piece of cake in front of her, with several strawberries on top of whit icing. "You're drooling, Ruby," Velvet notes with a smile as she sits down in her seat.

Ruby shakes her head and rubs the drool off her face, "Oh, sorry. I just love strawberries. And having them as part of a cake makes it even better," Ruby cheers.

"Well, don't wait on me. Let's enjoy, shall we," Velvet says as she picks up a fork and begins to eat her slice.

The two take small bites of their cake, trying to enjoy it as much as possible. Meanwhile, Yang, Weiss, and Blake watch outside the store with interest.

"Oh, don't they look cute together. Ruby's number one weakness, besides Velvet and Crescent Rose, is strawberries," Yang notes.

"Wait, not chocolate chip cookies. I figured that was her number one weakness considering how much of those she eats. It honestly surprises me that she hasn't gained weight from eating them so much," Weiss notes.

"Believe me, Ruby loves her cookies, but her favorite treat is actually strawberries. And having them with cake makes it even harder for her to resist. I've used that as a bribing tactic for her in the past. Works every time," Yang replies.

"I'm just waiting for when Velvet notices us and threatens you to back off before she gets mad that we were spying on her and Ruby's date," Blake adds.

"She's not gonna find out. We're fine, don't worry," Yang waves it off.

However, Velvet throws a subtle glance out the window, noticing the group like she did earlier. However, she then notices a piece of cake on a fork get put in front of her face, making her look back at Ruby.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"Duh, what does it look like? I'm feeding you. All couples do this. Now, say 'ah'," Ruby says, inching the piece of cake closer to Velvet's face.

Even though it was a little embarrassing, Velvet sighs and opens up her mouth to eat the offered piece of cake. Ruby giggles and then notices that Velvet offers up a piece of cake from her slice as well, showing a little red on her face.

"Well…you said this is what couples do, so…" she trails off.

Ruby giggles again and opens her mouth, allowing Velvet to slip her piece inside. Ruby enjoys the cake piece, but she enjoys the loving gesture from Velvet even more, which makes Velvet smile.

Outside, Yang almost squeals at the loving display, "AH, that is SO cute! It's almost like they're married!" she says, trying to keep her squeal down.

"Should we ask if a ring is included in this little plan of yours?" Weiss asks.

"Oh no, they haven't been together nearly long enough for that step. Besides, if Dad had heard about something like that this early, he'd go nuts, and we haven't even told him that Ruby and Velvet are an item yet," Yang replies.

"Well, I guess that's good," Weiss says.

Blake then leans in to Weiss, "Thinking about a ring between you and a certain blonde?" she whispers as a joke, making Weiss blush a deep red.

"I-I-I have no i-idea what you're t-t-talking about!" Weiss quietly retorts before turning her head away to hide her blush, making Blake chuckle.

"Huh, is something wrong, guys?" Yang asks.

"It's nothing!" Weiss quickly shoots her down.

Back inside, Velvet and Ruby finish their cake and prepare to leave, but then Velvet gets one idea.

"Hold on a second. I'll be right back," Velvet says before walking back up to the front. "Can I get a dozen chocolate chip cookies?" she asks.

"You got it," the cashier says and a moment later, comes back with a small box of cookies and puts it in a bag for Velvet. "Here you go," he says, handing her the bag.

"Thank you," Velvet says as she pays for the cookies and walks back to Ruby. "Ready to go?" she asks.

"Sure. What's that?" she asks, pointing at the bag.

"Cookies for you. But you'll have to wait at least until we get back to Beacon," Velvet answers.

"Oh, yay! Thank you, Velvet! You're the best!" Ruby cheers as she wraps her arms around Velvet's left arm.

"You're welcome. Now come on let's go," she says and they begin to make their way out of the bakery. However, as they do, they notice the cashier from earlier getting ready to head out as well. "Are you going on break?" Velvet asks.

"No. My shift's over. I only handle the mornings and afternoons when business is going, not in the later afternoon before we close. Someone else takes over at this time. It starts to get slow around this time of day, though I'm sure things will get busy once the Vytal Festival begins. Why?" he asks.

"Could you do a small favor for me?" Velvet asks, leaving both the cashier and Ruby confused.

Back outside the bakery, the other three members of Team RVWBY quickly move to find a hiding spot when they see the young couple make their way towards the exit. They hide behind a corner of the building and peek around to see Velvet and Ruby walk out and head off in one direction.

"Okay, time to go to our next destination. Let's go," Yang says as the three get ready to follow them again.

However, they are suddenly stopped by the cashier as he leaves the building and looks at them.

"Ah, I was hoping I'd find you," he says to Yang.

"What? Do I know you?" Yang asks, a little confused.

"The older girl that just left with her girlfriend asked me to give this to you," he says and hands Yang a folded up piece of paper. "Well, take care," he says and walks off.

"Wait, was he talking about Velvet? Does that mean that she knows that we were following them?" Weiss asks as she stares at the folded piece of paper.

Yang shrugs her shoulders and opens up the paper. Inside is a message that reads "I've known you've been following us for a while now. Stop following us, or else Ruby is gonna have to file a missing person's report for all THREE of you. Velvet." After reading the message, the three girls can't help but feel that Velvet would make good on that warning and laugh nervously with a little sweat dripping down their foreheads.

"I guess she knows," Yang says, her nervousness clearly showing as the paper shakes in her hands.

"Perhaps we should leave them alone," Weiss suggest, to which the other two nod in agreement.

"Well if I want to keep my life, then I'll be going. I'm going to stop by the local bookstore and see what they got before I head back to Beacon. See you guys later," Blake says and then leaves.

"Well, if our little adventure is over, then I suggest we head back to Beacon. I'd like to get some studying done, thank you very much," Weiss says.

"Actually, I was hoping we could do something else…now that we have the chance," Yang says, rubbing the back of her head.

"And what could possibly be more important than studying?" Weiss asks, narrowing her eyes and hands on her hips.

Yang then gets a little nervous, "Well…I was thinking…that maybe…you and I could…go on that date now," Yang slowly suggests. Weiss' posture relaxes as she wasn't expecting that answer, getting a little pink on her cheeks. They did agree to a date after all back at the dance. Getting worried that Weiss hadn't said anything, Yang tries to diffuse the situation. "Or if you're not ready for that yet, then I guess we can go back to Beacon. I'm sorry I brought it up," Yang apologizes.

"I didn't say I was against it," Weiss corrects her.

"Wait, what?" Yang quickly asks.

Weiss sighs, "I suppose taking a few more hours off from studying won't kill me, and we are already here in Vale. Might as well make the best of this opportunity while it lasts," she says.

"So, you're okay with going out on a date with me right now?" Yang quickly asks again, her hands practically held in a begging motion.

Weiss shakes her head, but can't help but smile at the blonde's eagerness, "Yes, you may take me on a date now. Just make sure you don't do anything or take me anywhere that will make me change my mind," she says.

"Yes! I mean, uh, of course," Yang cheers before composing herself and offering her left arm to Weiss, "So, shall I escort you to our destination, milady?" Yang asks.

Weiss actually chuckles a little bit at this, but accepts the arm nonetheless, "Yes, you may. A proper young lady like myself does need an escort when in the city after all," she replies.

"Then let us be on our way," Yang says and the two walk through the city. "So, where do you want to go for our first date?" Yang asks.

"Well, it is getting pretty late in the afternoon, and it won't be long before the sun begins to set, so how about a place to have some dinner?" Weiss suggests.

"Sounds good to me. Any place in particular that you'd like to go to?" Yang asks.

"Well, I know this nice spot that has exquisite seafood. Let's go there," Weiss says.

"Alright, well then lead the way," Yang says and they head off. After a few minutes of walking, Weiss points at the restaurant that she suggested. The sign had some fish on the front with a lobster wearing a chef's hat on top and a few cooking utensils in its pincers. "Here we are," Weiss says and they walk in.

The two walk towards the podium and wait a few minutes before someone comes to escort them to their booth. Luckily for them, it is still a little early dinner-wise, so there aren't a whole lot of people inside, meaning they wouldn't have to wait long for their food to come either. After getting their seats and menus, the two order their drinks, an iced tea for Weiss and a soda for Yang, before their waitress leaves and gives them a few minutes to decide on what to order.

"So, what are you having?" Weiss asks.

"Well some of the stuff on here looks really good, and luckily for me, it's not too expensive. I was a little worried that you'd take me to some five-star restaurant where even the appetizers would be around fifty lien," Yang says.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Weiss asks, a little annoyed.

"Nothing, it's just I don't have nowhere near as much money as you do, Weiss. Kind of makes it hard for me to go to pricier places. Plus it would be hard to get things for you or take you to on a proper date with my low budget," Yang quickly replies.

"Yang, you don't have to that kind of stuff for me. I can easily pay for all that," Weiss says.

"That's not the point. I want to do things for you. I want you to have a good time, but most of all I want to make you happy, so…" Yang trails off as she looks away.

Hearing this makes Weiss show a soft smile, _"Oh, you beautiful blonde brute,"_ she thinks before she rests her hand on Yang's, getting her attention. "You DO make me happy, as surprising as that sounds. The fact that you worry so much about my opinion and about what I would like or want makes me happier than you know. It shows how much you care," she says.

Yang blushes a little at this, but reciprocates the smile, "Thanks Weiss. Being with you makes me happy too. I remember what you told me about your family. How, aside from your older sister, there really wasn't much room for familial love in that household. I don't exactly know what that feels like. I mean, MY mom left me after I was born, and though Summer cared for me like a daughter, eventually she died years later. It was tough, but I had Dad and I had Ruby and Zwei with me, and we all loved and cared for each other. I want you to know what that's like," Yang says.

"So, is this all out of some sense of pity for me?" Weiss in a slightly mocking tone.

"What, no! I want you to feel appreciated, and cared for. I told you I want you to be happy, and I want to make you happy. I mean-," Yang quickly says before Weiss puts a hand on her lips.

Weiss giggles, "It's okay. I know what you meant…Thank you Yang. I'm really lucky I got to meet you," she says.

"Actually, I think I'm the lucky one. I am here on a date with a gorgeous gal like you after all," Yang replies.

"Speaking of which, let's get back to figuring out what we're gonna eat," Weiss says as they look back at their menus. But then a thought hits her. "By the way, what else did you and Blake plan out for Velvet on her first date with Ruby?" she asks, curious.

Yang just shows a mischievous grin, "Oh, just one little thing for when they get back to Beacon. Just the two of them," Yang says.

…

Back at Beacon, Ruby and Velvet return to their dorm after having dinner at a local restaurant. When they enter, they find their room to be empty.

"Huh, I wonder where everyone went," Ruby wonders.

 _"Of course they wouldn't be here. Yang told me as much. Hopefully it'll stay that way if they want to live to see their next birthdays,"_ Velvet thinks as she walks in behind Ruby. "Beats me. But, at least we get some peace and quiet for a little while. Can't argue with that," she says.

Ruby goes and flops down on Velvet's bed since it was the closest, "What a long day," she says, yawning a little bit.

Velvet sits next to her, "What, did our date not do it for you?" Velvet asks mockingly.

Ruby quickly sits up, "What?! No! It was awesome, it's just that we spent almost all day in Vale. I'm just tired. Not that I'm tired of being with you. I would never get tired of being with you because I care about you so much. I mean…" Ruby's voice goes a mile a second before Velvet shuts her up with a quick peck on her lips. "…Um…Uh…Um," Ruby stutters.

"I guess it's a good thing I know that I can leave you speechless when I want to," Velvet says, smirking.

Ruby laughs nervously, "Heh-heh-heh, sorry about that," she says.

"It's alright. Your quirkiness is one of the things that I like about you so much," Velvet says, making Ruby blush at the compliment. "However, there's still one more thing I had planned for our date tonight," she says.

"Like what? Where are we going this time?" Ruby asks.

"Nowhere. It's nothing too extreme. Though, I would like to take a shower before then. I'll let you go first," Velvet says.

"Um, okay," Ruby says, a little confused before she gets up and grabs her pajamas and a towel before heading into the restroom.

With Ruby gone for the moment, Velvet breathes a heavy sigh as she tries to mentally prepare herself for the last step in this date.

 _"I can't believe Yang and Blake thought of this. At least they know I would never take it too far with Ruby…well, not until I know she's ready for something like that,"_ she thinks as she blushes a deep red.

A few minutes later, Ruby comes out in her pajamas, "Okay Velvet, your turn," she says.

"Okay, but first, I need you to sit down on the bed and close your eyes. Keep them closed until I get inside the restroom, and then close them again before I come out, okay?" Velvet asks.

"Um, okay," Ruby says and sits down on Velvet's bed, closing her eyes. Using this chance, Velvet grabs a towel and something else and enters the restroom. When Ruby hears the door close, she opens her eyes and waits for Velvet to get done in the shower. Several minutes later, she hears the shower turn off and closes her eyes again, listening as Velvet opens the door.

Velvet stands in front of Ruby, "Okay, you can open your eyes now," she says.

Ruby opens her eyes, and quickly blushes at seeing Velvet in her pretzel bikini swimsuit from the other day, "Um, Velvet, why are you wearing your swimsuit? Are we going to the pool?" she asks, a little nervous.

"No, we're not. The truth is, I wanted to do something special for you, for all you've done for me, and after talking with Yang and Blake, this is what I came up with. Don't worry, I wasn't planning on doing anything serious. I just need you to lie on your stomach. Can you do that?" Velvet asks.

Ruby remains still for a moment, but then slowly nods and does as she was asked. However, after she lays down, Velvet moves to sit on her lower back, making her blush get darker.

"W-what are you doing?" she stutters.

"…This," Velvet whispers and then places her hands on Ruby's back before she starts giving Ruby a massage. "Yang gave me a few pointers on this, so you can thank her later for this," she says as she works her hands on Ruby's back.

Feeling the sensations on Velvet's hands as they relieve the stress on Ruby's muscles make her sigh in contentment. A few moans escape her lips, but she quickly tries to cover her mouth in embarrassment. Velvet just chuckles as she continues to massage Ruby's back, helping her relax. After a few more minutes, Velvet leans a little closer to Ruby.

"So, feel any better?' Velvet asks.

"Oh yeah. This feels nice. Best date ever," Ruby sighs, eyes closed.

"Good. Now then, turn back around," Velvet asks, and Ruby rolls onto her back, and sees how close their faces are. "And now for the finishing touch," Velvet whispers before she pulls Ruby into a deep kiss.

The younger girl melts into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Velvet's neck as she feels Velvet's bare skin against her body. Her hands slowly move downward, exploring Velvet's body just as Velvet's hands do the same. However, Ruby quickly pulls away before things get too serious.

"Um, Velvet, I like this and all, but I'm not quite ready for…that," Ruby says, nervous.

"It's okay. I won't force you to do anything you're not comfortable with. I'm not really ready for that next stage also. I'll go at your pace okay," Velvet calms her worries.

Ruby nods, "Thanks, Velvet. But, can we at least kiss a little more?" she asks.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Velvet says before bringing Ruby in for another passionate kiss.

Yeah, Ruby can definitely say that this was the best first date ever.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. I had that idea at the end for a while and I wanted to put it in without being too mature. Got to stick to the rating now. I also wanted to do another Freezerburn scene for Yang and Weiss. Well, Ruby and Velvet had their first date. Will they have more in the future? Will Yang suffer Velvet's wrath for spying on them? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	38. Chapter 38: The Vytal Tournament Begins

**Here we are at Chapter 38. Time to begin Volume 3 in the story. Which means it's time for the Vytal Festival. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 38. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 38: The Vytal Tournament begins.**

Sometime has passed since Ruby and Velvet's first date, and things have been relatively peaceful since then. Velvet went back with Yang and Ruby to their home in Patch when the time came, and then came back for the start of the Vytal Festival, and more importantly, the combat tournament. The group couldn't be more excited, especially since they would be participating in it. After going through the qualifiers and the tests, Team RVWBY managed to get a place as one of the teams representing Beacon. Now the time has come to show the world what they're capable of. Velvet didn't really know how to feel about fighting in a tournament being broadcasted around the world, but if Ruby was happy, then she would go through with it in order to keep her happy.

…

In the Amnity Stadium, Team RVWBY faced off against Team ABRN from Haven Academy. Ruby twirls her scythe around before racing back towards her opponent, Weiss swings her rapier around, while behind her Blake summersaults around in the air to avoid a strike from her opponent, and finally Yang jumps high into the air to evade one attack before she lands and fires off her gauntlets before she charges back into the fight. And Velvet…is sitting in the stands watching the fight.

 _"I still can't believe they wouldn't let me fight in the teams rounds. I understand wanting to keep it fair, but it doesn't mean I have to like it,"_ she thinks as she watches the fight go on.

 _...Flashback begins…_

"What do you mean Velvet can't compete in the first round with us?!" Ruby yells.

Team RVWBY are in Ozpin's office along with said headmaster in his chair, and Professor Goodwitch by his side.

"It's exactly as we said; Miss Crowe cannot compete in the teams round with you four," Glynda says.

"But why not?! She's a member of this team, isn't she?" Yang says, a little angry.

"Of course she is. Believe me, I would much rather have her compete with you as a team, but this is the Vytal Festival Tournament. As you know, the tournament is separated into three sections: teams, doubles, and singles. The thing is you are the only team competing in this tournament that has five members. You're the first team in history to have five members. If we had her compete along with the rest of you, it would make it look like we were giving your team an unfair advantage in the first round of the tournament. There is no precedent for this, and the whole world will be watching. To ensure that every team is treated fairly, we have to keep them down to four-on-four matches. I'm sorry, but I don't have much of a choice," Ozpin calmly explains.

"Yeah, fairly. Fairly for everyone except for her. She's a part of this team, and yet she can't show her skills to everyone. She has to sit out of the tournament simply because she's different from everyone else," Weiss sarcastically replies.

"Miss Schnee, that's enough. We are not finished with our explanation," Glynda tells her.

"What's there to explain? You don't want Velvet to compete with us because you have to think about the school's image first, right?" Blake says with a little defiance.

"Guys, please," Velvet says, getting their attention. "I don't want you four to get jammed up because of me. If I have to sit out of the tournament in order for you to compete, then that's what I'll have to do. I know you guys have been waiting for this for a long time now. I don't want to ruin it for you," Velvet says, though that didn't do much to hide the hint of sadness in her voice.

"Velvet…" Ruby mutters before she wraps her arms around Velvet's right side.

"I never said that Velvet couldn't compete in the whole tournament," Ozpin says, getting their attention.

"What do you mean?" Yang asks.

"I said that Velvet couldn't compete in the first round because we needed to keep it fair. However, that doesn't mean that she can't compete in the other rounds. I know you girls will make it far in the tournament, even have a chance to win the whole thing. What I'm suggesting is that if you want her to compete, then you can have her compete in the doubles and/or the singles rounds. It would still be two-on-two or one-on-one so no rules would be broken. Does that sound like a satisfactory idea for you five?" Ozpin explains.

The five are a little surprised at this, but they sure weren't against it.

"So, Velvet can still fight with us?" Ruby asks.

"Make it past the first round, and she'll be able to fight with you," Ozpin says, smiling.

"Thank you, Professor Ozpin," Ruby says.

With that matter settled, the team begins to leave Ozpin's office, however, as they're leaving, Velvet passes a knowing glance back at Ozpin, who returns the gesture before she exits his office.

… _Flashback ends…_

 _"At least I know for a fact that that they can make it passed this round easy. I'd still wish I was down there with him,"_ Velvet thinks as she watches the fight continue.

Meanwhile in the arena, the fight continues for Team RVWBY. Blake is fighting in an ice section of the arena, and sees her opponent, Reese Chloris, coming in on a green-glowing, bladed hoverboard. Blake sees Reese coming in on her hoverboard before she launches it at Blake, Blake knocks it away with her left sword, but Reese counters by punching it back at Blake, who deflects it by kicking it. Blake then runs at Reese, jumping up before attacking her just as Reese catches her hoverboard and uses it as a shield. Blake swings her swords three times before kicking Reese, making her stumble back. Reese then swings her hoverboard at Blake as Blake swings her swords at her and deflects the attack. Reese starts spinning her hoverboard, using it to knock Black back and then flips back onto it. Reese races towards Blake, but Blake just smirks and when Reese gets close, she creates an ice clone of herself and flips out of the way. Reese collides into the ice clone, and Blake swings her swords at her, knocking her into the air. In the slow motion, Reese's hoverboard splits in half before transforming into a pair of pistols. In normal speed, Reese grabs them and fires at Blake and misses, before landing painfully on the ground on her butt.

"Oooh, that's gotta hurt," Velvet notes.

Meanwhile, Yang goes one on one with her opponent, named Arslan Atlan, leader of Team ABRN. Yang jumps high into the air, screaming, before landing in front of Arslan, making her slide back from the impact. After that, Yang rushes in and the two brawlers throw a series of punches at the two before their next set of punches collide with each other, creating a powerful shockwave. Yang and Arslan get pushed back from the shockwave, and the Arslan backflips away as Yang jumps at her, doing a spinning jump kick. Arslan uses her weapon, a rope dart, to wrap around Yang's left leg. She pulls it, making Yang lose her footing, and then kicks Yang into the ice section of the arena. Yang gets back up, but has trouble keeping her balance on the slippery ice, and looks up to see Arslan punch her back onto the ground. Yang slides back, stopping next to another member of Team ABRN, Nadir Shiko. In his hands is a black assault rifle, with a blade on top on the rifle. Nadir looks at Yang, but before he can do anything, a shot rings out, and hits the ice behind him. Yang slowly gets up to see Nadir, without his rifle, and having the lower half of his body frozen in ice, much to his displeasure as he groans. The shot came from Ruby's sniper scythe.

"Got your back!" Ruby shouts.

"Whose got yours?" she hears a voice behind her and looks back at the fourth member of Team ABRN, Bolin Hori, who spins a staff around.

Ruby sees Bolin spinning his staff as he appears behind her, but then suddenly, a black glyph appears at his side, and then Weiss shows up, kicking Bolin through the glyph, launching him into a rock on the lava section of the arena.

"My BFF!" Ruby answers, gesturing to Weiss.

"No," Weiss deadpans before running towards Bolin.

Ruby turns around, pumping her fist, "Yes," she whispers before joining Weiss.

On his knees, Bolin looks up to see Weiss conjure a glyph in front of him. As he gets up, Weiss uses the glyph and shoots past him while hitting him with her rapier, and then jumps over him from behind, swing her sword again to which he blocks the attack with his staff. As Weiss lands in front of him, she makes another glyph behind her, allowing Ruby to jump over her, spinning her scythe in mid-air before slamming it on Bolin, who blocks it with his staff. Ruby then fires her weapon, knocking Bolin back while she lands next to Weiss. As Bolin gets back up, he notices some red dust crystals behind Ruby and Weiss. Bolin runs at them, rolling under Weiss as she sends some ice shards flying at him, and then flips over Ruby when she swings her scythe at him before running behind her.

"What?!" Ruby shouts.

Bolin swings his staff, cutting off a piece of the red dust crystal, garbs it, and then throws it to Reese. Reese shoves the crystal into her hoverboard, making it change color from green to red. Blake sees this, and Reese winks at her before riding on her hoverboard, and using the red dust crystal's power to quickly thaw out Nadir's legs, freeing him. Reese then rides over to Blake, and pushes her hoverboard against her, knocking Blake through an ice pillar, and then runs at her. Reese jumps up into the air, hoping to land on Blake with her weapon, but Blake flips out of the way, and then strikes at Reese, who spins her hoverboard, causing fire to appear, the fire hits Blake, but she uses her semblance to back out of it, and then throws her chain scythe at one large ice rock, pulling on it and moving her around the chunk of ice. Reese follows her and eventually finds Blake just standing in between two ice rock formations. Reese laughs and goes to spin her fire attributed hoverboard at her when she gets close, but then Blake disappears, revealing to be one of her clones. In slow motion, Blake's chain scythe appears in front of Reese in mid-air, connecting to the other ice rock. In real time, the real Blake pulls on the ribbon, stopping Rees, and then kicks Reese out of the arena as she hits the force field at the edge and then lands on the ground as an electronic buzzer sounds off.

"Oooh, a double-wamy. Reese Chloris is eliminated by ring out AND aura level," Port says over the speakers as Reese looks up on the main screen to show her aura level dropping to the red zone.

"Oh, she really should've worn a helmet," Oobleck says while Reese punches the ground in defeat.

"Yes, nice job Blake," Velvet says as she watches her team fight.

Meanwhile, Arslan uses her rope dart as she slides across the ice, with Yang following her by shooting her shotgun gauntlets behind her. Behind her, Nadir flips in the air before landing and aiming his assault rifle at Weiss. However, Weiss uses one of her black glyphs to shoot Bolin at him, crashing into Nadir. Weiss lands near them and stabs her rapier into the ground. Suddenly, a large black glyph appears under Nadir and Bolin, levitating them in the air before making them crash into each other again. As they fall back onto the ground, Weiss conjures up a white glyph and, using her ice dust, creates a giant hand of ice that wraps around Nadir and Bolin, before turning into a large ice ball and starts rolling to one side of the arena with the two boys stuck in it. Arslan sees them in trouble and moves to help them. Using her rope dart to slide her way on the ice, she stops in front of them as the ice ball rolls towards her. Arslan then takes a martial artist stance, and when it gets close, throws a strong punch that shatters the ice ball and frees her teammates.

"Yang!" Weiss calls out to Yang, who looks at her. Weiss then uses some more ice dust in her weapon to create a circular half-pipe of ice behind her and turns to Yang. "Now!" she yells.

Yang runs to her, and fires her shotgun gauntlets to keep her sliding on the ice half-pipe while Blake runs by her. Blake then throws her chain scythe at her, which she catches, and swings her around the half-pipe. Blake jumps onto Ruby, who pushes her into the air and towards the three members of Team ABRN with Yang behind her. The three opponents turn around to see Blake flip in the air and pull on her ribbon, making Yang fly over her. Yang screams as she reels back her right fist before she throws a powerful punch that hits all three of them, sending them flying in a fiery explosion. With that last attack, the battle is over as the buzzer goes off.

"Yes!" Yang cheers as her teammates cheer behind her.

"And that's the match. Team RWBY is victorious," Port announces.

Ruby smiles and looks up into the stands to spot Velvet, smiling back at her and clapping for their victory.

…

"Is anyone else starving?" Ruby groans as she leans against Velvet in the fairgrounds with the rest of the team.

"I might've worked up an appetite," Blake notes, only for her stomach to concur with her as it growls like that of an animal.

"I bet with that growl from your stomach," Velvet says as she pets Ruby's head. "How about we get some food to celebrate making it past the first round?" she suggests.

"Yay! Food!" Ruby cheers as she wraps her arms around Velvet.

"Come on, I know the best spot for some good food," Yang says and they follow her through the fairgrounds.

As they walk though, Velvet feels someone come up behind them and quickly turns around to see Emerald standing behind them, who becomes a little spooked at how fast she noticed her presence.

"Emerald!" Ruby says as she notices too. "What are you doing here?" she asks as the rest of the team join them.

"Good to see you Ruby. And you Velvet," Emerald greets them, though Velvet only narrows her eyes at her.

"What's up, Em?" Yang asks.

"Just left the stadium after watching your amazing fight. You guys were awesome!" she praises them, even though it's just an act.

Ruby starts blushing and muttering to herself, "Oh, stop it. Shut your stupid little," she mutters in glee.

"I heard your team progressed to the next round, too," Blake says.

"You know, I feel like we never see your other teammates," Weiss adds.

"How'd they do in the fight?" Yang asks.

Emerald clicks her tongue and looks up in deep thought as she thinks back to the one-sided fight her team had in the first round.

"…Really well," she says.

"Of course it was, they had me to lead the way after all," Mercury says as he steps up behind Emerald with a cocky smirk on his face. "Hello, beautiful," he winks at Velvet, who scoffs in disgust as a response.

"Right…well, we were all gonna go out and get some victory food together. Want to join us?" Ruby asks, but then Velvet growls at the idea of having to deal with Mercury, and laughs nervously. "Heh-heh-heh, yeah, maybe not…Perhaps another time," Ruby says.

Emerald sweats a little bit, "Yeah, good idea. Well, Mercury and I will be competing in the doubles round. Who are you guys sending?" she asks.

"Since she couldn't compete in the first round, we've decided to put Velvet in. And we'll have Weiss fight with her in the doubles round.

"I would be happy to represent Team RVWBY," Weiss bows.

"They won't know what hit them," Velvet adds.

Emerald laughs, "Well, if you end up facing us down the line, we won't go easy on you," she says.

"Although, I might be tempted to give you a handicap, sweet cheeks," Mercury flirts with Velvet, only to get elbowed in the gut by Emerald.

"I think it would be in my partner's best interest if we leave. We're going to go watch some more fight. See you around," Emerald says.

"Well, see you later," Ruby waves them goodbye.

"Catch you later, hot stuff," Mercury winks at Velvet, but then gets pulled by the ear by Emerald. "Ow! Okay, I'm coming! I'm coming! You're gonna rip it off!" he screams.

A minute later, Team RVWBY end up at a noodle stand for some food.

"I'll have a bowl of the regular, please," Yang asks.

"Ooooh, I'll take the same," Ruby says, happily getting the same order as Yang.

"Same here," Velvet says, and gets a bowl of the regular as well.

"Hm, do you have anything with a low salt?" Weiss asks, getting a large bowl of noodles in front of her. "Um, okay…" Weiss questions the bowl in front of her.

However, Blake just smiles and nods to the old man. The old man nods in return and runs into the back of the booth, only to come back and give Blake a large bowl of noodles with several tuna fish on top. Blake gets stars in her eyes and she starts drooling as she inches closer to the meal, her heart pounding loudly. Weiss looks on for a moment and then pulls out a shiny Schnee Dust Company credit card to pay for the meal, which the old man takes.

"Aw, Weiss, what's the occasion?" Yang happily asks at her teammate's kind gesture.

"Consider it thanks for sending Velvet and I to the doubles round," Weiss replies, until her card gets thrown back and stabs the booth in front of her. Everyone looks on in shock and then at the old man, who points to his register which shows the words "declined" on it. "What?! How can me card be declined? I was barely into my monthly allowance," Weiss asks while Blake slowly starts pulling her bowl away.

However, the old man quickly takes away her bowl.

"Noooo," Blake cries, her head falling onto the booth.

"Okay, now what?" Velvet asks.

"Maybe I can help," they look to their left to see Team JNPR walking up to them, with Pyrrha having her wallet out.

"Pyrrha!" Ruby cheers while raising her hands into the air.

"Are you sure? You don't have to," Velvet asks.

"But she could," Blake quickly says, wanting her fish back.

"Well, I think you all earned it after that battle," Pyrrha says.

"Mind if we join you?" Jaune asks.

A little later, the two teams finish their meals, all them feeling satisfied, though it looks like Weiss and Jaune may end up seeing their meals again.

"Are you sure it's wise to have eaten before a fight?" Ren asks.

"Exactly, it will give us energy," Pyrrha replies, but then Nora burps an incredibly LOUD burp next to her.

Jaune then painfully lays his head on the booth and groans, "If I barf, I'm blaming you," Jaune woefully says.

"Oh, aim it at the enemy," Nora playfully suggests, grinning madly.

"Nora, that's disgusting. But, if you do feel the urge," Ren says.

Jaune gives him a thumbs up, "Got it," he says, making Velvet gag.

Pyrrha then stands up, "Well, we should be off," she says.

"So, you think you guys are ready?" Ruby asks.

Nora speaks up, "Of course. We've got a world renowned fighter on our team, what's basically a ninja, I can bench five of me…J-Jaune…We've trained all year, our weapons are awesome, Glynda barely yells at us anymore, and uh…Jaune," Nora points out, trying to be nice with Jaune.

"Are you gonna take that?" Ren asks as everyone looks at Jaune.

"She's not wrong," Jaune admits, shaking his head as it remains on the booth.

'I'm kidding. He knows I'm kidding. Don't be so nervous. The worst that could happen is we LOSE. Then it's just a few more years of walking around school with everyone knowing we're failures. Our friends will slowly abandon us to preserve their social status. We won't be able to show our faces in class. No one will sit with us in the cafeteria. And Ren and I have no parents, and we have no home left to go to. We'll be officially renamed Team 'Losifer' ha-ha-ha," Nora starts laughing miserably as her face loses its color and she smacks her head to the booth while crying in agony.

"So, yeah…We're feeling pretty good," Ren calmly says.

"Yeah, sure…Let's just go with that," Velvet says as she stares at Nora.

Pyrrha places a supportive hand on Nora and Jaune's shoulders, "Don't fret. If anything, we should be looking forward to a fight with actual guidelines and not, well, murderers," Pyrrha notes.

"Yeah, don't sweat it. We've all faced way worse before," Yang says.

"Let's see: Grimm invasions, violent extremists, a destructive sociopath," Blake counts the fingers on her left hand.

"And that's all while we were still in training. Oh, imagine what it'll be like when we graduate," Ruby cheers, pumping her fists in front of her in excitement.

"Maybe then, I'll be able to pay for a meal," Weiss mutters, hanging her head as the announcements come on.

"Would Team JNPR please report to the battle grounds immediately," they hear Port's voice says.

"Yes, like they were scheduled to, SEVERAL minutes ago,"Oobleck's voice adds.

"Well it looks like this is it," Pyrrha says and she and Ren walk away, with Nora and Jaune trailing behind them, still in agony.

"Go get 'em," Ruby cheers them on.

 _"Good luck, you guys,"_ Velvet thinks.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. The Vytal Festival is now underway. I thought about putting Velvet in the first round, but then I decided to keep things fair and hold her off for the next two rounds. Will Team RVWBY make it through the tournament? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	39. Chapter 39: New Challengers

**Here we are at Chapter 39. Time to keep things going in the tournament. Not much going to happen for Velvet and her team in this chapter. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 39. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 39: New Challengers…**

Team RVWBY watch as their friends in Team JNPR begin their first match in the tournament against Team BRNZ.

"Go kick some butt, Team JNPR!" Ruby yells.

"Um…good luck," Velvet says without as much vigor as Ruby, since she's not used to this.

"3…2…1…" Port counts down over the announcements.

"Come on, guys!" Jaune pumps his team up, raising his sword.

"Begin!" Port says and the match begins.

All four members of Team JNPR run at the three boys of Team BRNZ who run back at them, but the forth member, May Zedong, runs backwards to the forest section of the arena. When they get close, Brawnz knees Pyrrha who blocks it with her shield, and steps back before blocking a strike of his claws with her sword. Pyrrha then takes a swing at him, but he dodges to her right and moves away. This allows Pyrrha to see May using the end of her sniper rifle to hook onto and swing on one tree branch, propelling her to a higher branch, allowing her to act as support for her team. Meanwhile, Nora runs at and takes a swing with her war hammer at Nolan, who ducks under the attack and swings his baton at her rear. May jumps onto one branch, aims, and then fires a shot that goes over Ren, destroying a big chunk of a large boulder behind him. As this happens, Jaune uses his shield to block two strikes from Roy's saws, and then looks up to see a bullet zoom right past his head. He looks at the forest to see May's weapon shining in the forest as she aims it at them.

"R-retreat!" he commands his team.

"That sniper gives the other team an advantage," Velvet notes.

"What do you mean, Velvet?" Ruby asks.

"Think about it. No one on Team JNPR are especially skilled in long range combat. They're at their best in close range. The three members on the other team fight up close while the sniper provides support from a distance. Team JNPR is getting pinned down, leaving them vulnerable," Velvet explains.

"Oh, I didn't think of it that way," Ruby notes.

Velvet raises an eyebrow at her, "Ruby…you do the same thing on our team when you're not fighting up close," she deadpans.

"Oh, right…sorry," Ruby says, scratching her cheek.

Back in the arena, Team JNPR jump behind some rocks and use them as cover while May continues to lay down suppressive fire on them.

"What do we do?" Pyrrha asks.

Jaune looks up to see the rest of Team BRNZ running towards them.

"Spread out! Try to keep moving," he says before he blocks a strike made by Brawnz.

May jumps onto a higher branch and takes aim. Pyrrha blocks another attack from Brawnz's claws with her sword while Nolan causally walks forward to Ren who slides in front of him. Nolan looks back to May and nods his head. May aims at Ren and fires, with one shot hitting the ground in front of him and then another going for his feet, but he side-flips to evade it. As he looks up, Nolan swings his baton at him, hitting his head, making Ren stumble back while Nolan runs at him. Ren spins around and does a spin kick, but Nolan ducks under it and swings his baton at Ren's legs. Ren spins around again from the strike, and then Nolan stabs his baton at his chest, shocking Ren and making him fall to the ground.

"Ren!" Nora yells to her partner, and gets mad.

She takes a swing at Nolan, but he ducks and then stabs his electric baton at Nora's chest. However, the shock has no effect, and Nora just smiles at him while laughing a little bit.

"Ho-ho, looks like one of my favorite students, Nora Valkyrie, is charging up to use her semblance," Port says on the big screen.

"What?" Nolan asks, confused.

"Yes, Miss Valkyrie's semblance lets her produce, as well as channel, electrical energy straight to her muscles. This allows her to jump explosively into the air, wield her mighty hammer, or in this case, absorb Nolan's attacks and send young man flying," Oobleck explains.

"WHAT?!" Nolan shrieks.

Nora then flexes her arms as electrical energy surges on her arms and her torso. Nolan steps back, and then Nora burst forth with pink and white lightning bolts, smiling, before slamming her hammer against him, and sending him bouncing back and crashing into a large boulder, destroying it.

"I have to admit, I was surprised by that being her semblance when we sparred that one time," Velvet notes.

"Guess it was 'shocking' for you, huh?" Yang makes a bad pun, making her teammates groan, and Weiss smack the back of her head. "Ow! Geez, tough crowd," she says.

Meanwhile, Jaune looks to the top of the mountain behind him to see an artificially created storm cloud forming above the mountain and gets an idea.

"Nora! Get to the mountain!" he shouts to her.

Nora salutes him, "You got it!" she says and races to the mountain top.

"Ren, try and distract the sniper," Jaune tells Ren.

Ren winches as a shot flies right by him and hunches over.

"Sure, why not," he dryly replies and then moves.

Jaune and Pyrrha move forward while Nora keeps jumping up higher and higher as she gets closer to the top. Roy throws his saws at Jaune, to which Jaune blocks with his shield, but the second collision causes his shield to reel back and hit his face. The saws return to Roy, who then swings his arms around, making three swings at Pyrrha who blocks them with her shield. Jaune shakes his head back into focus and runs to join her. Meanwhile, Team RVWBY watches from the stands.

"Yeah! Go get 'em, Jaune!" Ruby cheers him on, pumping her fist into the air.

"Well, he's certainly improved," Weiss notes, complimenting Jaune, which is weird since he usually just annoys her.

'Maybe a little bit," Velvet mutters.

"Yeah, but he ain't got nothing on Pyrrha," Yang adds.

Back in the fight, Pyrrha kicks Brawnz away before blocking Roy's first saw, spinning her body to avoid his second saw, then spinning her body around to kneel and throw her sword at Roy, and then rolling backwards and pushing off her hands as she double kicks Brawnz again. Meanwhile, May aims and fires another shot at Ren, who runs across the center of the arena towards her, side stepping to evade the first four shots before jumping over Roy's saws, hitting and sliding across the ground while Pyrrha jumps and rolls over him. He gets close enough and fires his automatic pistols at Nolan as he runs at him. Ren then swings his pistols' attached blades at him twice before using them to block and lock Nolan's baton, then kicks his chest twice before positioning it behind Nolan's neck as he is forced to turn around and get locked in by Ren. May thinks for a moment before deciding to aim at Nora this time, which Ren notices.

"Nora!" he yells as he holds Nolan.

Jaune blocks an attack from Brawnz with his sword and looks back to see Nora still climbing the mountain. He then looks to Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha, up!" he yells.

Pyrrha runs towards him, flipping in the air to avoid Roy's thrown saws, sliding on the ground right by him, before she gets back on her feet and jumps over Brawnz. She lands on Jaune's shield and he pushes her up into the air just in time for Pyrrha to use her shield to block May's next shot that was meant for Nora. Nora reaches the top of the mountain, raising her hammer into the air to absorb the lightning coming off of it, charging her up. She turns her weapon into its grenade launcher form, and then opens the front section, firing off six rounds that fly through the air in a heart shape. May looks on in disbelief as they fly towards her, but jumps off her tree just in time to avoid the shots. Everyone looks on as May starts coughing from the smoke billowing up and consuming the forest, forcing her to jump down to ground level. The other three members of Team BRNZ look back up to see Nora smash her powered up hammer at the ground in front of them, making a shockwave that sends them flying back to May.

"This is it guys! Let's finish 'em with team attacks. Ren, Nora, flower power!" Jaune declares, but…

"Wait, what?" Nora asks, confused.

"F-flower power," Jaune says again as he looks back at them, but they still don't get it. "That's your team attack name," he explains.

"Since when?" Ren asks.

"Guys, we went over this! Flower power's Ren and Nora. Ren brings the flower, Nora brings the power!" Jaune practically pouts.

"How do I bring a flower?" Ren asks, scratching his head with his pistol.

"No silly, not A FLOWER. Flour, like in baking," Nora says.

"Why would I bring that?" Ren asks again, still confused.

"Eh, uh, no, it's your symbol," Jaune corrects them.

"So, what are we?" Pyrrha asks, gesturing to Jaune and herself.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune pouts again.

"SORRY, I just wanna make sure it's clearly defined," Pyrrha says.

"Pyrrha, you and I are 'Arkos,' it's that thing, where we take our shields, remember?" Jaune clarifies while Team BRNZ looks on in disbelief.

"Arkos?" Pyrrha asks.

"Yeah, it's our names put together," he explains.

"Right, no, I get it," Pyrrha says, not truly getting it.

"What, do you not like it?" he inquires.

"No, no, it's…good," she tries to be nice about it.

"Hm, I sensed hesitation," Nora notes at Pyrrha's response.

By this point, Team BRNZ was getting impatient.

"HEY!" Brawnz yells to them, getting their attention.

"Huh?" Team JNPR inquires as they look back at them.

"What do you think you're doing?" he yells to them.

"Trying to have a team meeting, thank you very little!" Jaune retorts.

"Yeah, team ears only," Nora adds, pointing to her ears.

Brawnz looks at his team, then back at them, "We're in the middle of a FIGHT!" he shouts.

"AND WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONVERSATION! WHAT DON'T YOU GET ABOUT THAT?!" Jaune shouts back.

"Um, Jaune…" Pyrrha begins.

"Yes, Pyrrha?" Jaune replies as he calms down.

"I think he means that we're ALL in the middle of a fight," Pyrrha points out.

The group look around the coliseum to see the crowd booing at them for their lack of action in the middle of the battle.

Velvet hunches over with a look of confusion mixed with irritation, "I can't believe they're having a conversation about stupid team combo names in the middle of a tournament fight. Either they're really confident, really lax, or just plain idiotic," she says dryly, making Ruby laugh nervously.

Back in the arena, Team JNPR look on at the commotion around them.

Jaune then sighs, "Nora, just…hit them with the hammer," he says.

"Got it," she replies, getting a maniacal smile.

"Wait, what?" Brawnz says.

Nora jumps into the air, landing next to them, and swings her hammer around, hitting all four members of Team BRNZ out of the arena, colliding with the force field at the edge. This ends the match with all four of them getting eliminated by knockout.

"And with that, it appears Team JNPR wins by knockout. Literally. Can someone go make sure they're okay?" Port announces.

"Leave it to Nora to knock everyone out of the park," Velvet notes, but then Yang smirks at her. "What?"

"You just made a pun! I'm so proud of you!" she cheers.

"Oh, great…" Velvet groans, and Ruby pats her on the shoulder to comfort her.

A few minutes later, the arena resets and the next match gets set to begin.

"Aw well, Vacuo fans are sure to be hurting after that one, but this next round will have them on the edge of their seats," Oobleck says, showing a picture of Team BRNZ's defeat.

Port then steps in, "Team NDGO (Indigo) of Shade is certainly a crowd favorite, but these lovely ladies are going against some of the toughest, testosterone-filled teammates we've seen so far. I'm of course talking about…Team SSSN (Sun)!" Port exclaims. "Sun Wukong and his team are certainly a force to be reckoned with," Port says as Sun's team walks into the arena while waving to the crowd. "And although he'll be representing the Mistral academy of Haven, I'm sure his friends and family back in Vacuo will be cheering him along," Port says.

Sun and Neptune wave to the crowd along with the other two members of their team, Scarlet David and Sage Ayana. Neptune looks up at Team RVWBY and winks at Velvet and Weiss. Ruby and Yang notice this and instinctively wrap their arms around their girlfriends while narrowing their eyes at them.

"I guess he hasn't learned his lesson yet," Weiss flatly says to Velvet.

"Nope," Velvet replies, popping the 'p'.

Neptune chuckles nervously as he looks away and then his team meet their opponents, the four cute girls of Team NDGO. Neptune then quickly changes his objective.

"Ladies," he tries to act suave with them, moving on from Velvet and Weiss.

Seeing this, Ruby and Yang flip, "KILL HIM, NDGO!" the sisters yell out.

"Alright girls, try and remember; hands…above the waist," he continues flirting with them.

Sun puts a hand on his shoulder, "Ignore him, for he…Yeah, he's dumb," Sun says.

Neptune winks at them, much to their disgust, as the arena begins to set up for the next match. Behind Team NDGO, the arena opens up as a desert section with tall rock formations rises up. Above the rocks, an artificial sun appears, with some of the crowd putting their shades on.

"Ha-alright, home-field advantage," Nebula says as they look at the field.

"Don't get too cocky. That's my turf, too!" Sun says.

"I hope I don't get sand in my shoes," Scarlet worries.

Neptune leans in close, "Be cool, man," he whispers as the roulette behind him stops.

"Hey, the ocean," Dew joyfully says.

"Huh?" Neptune says as he turns around to see the symbol for the ocean…and gets engulfed in fear at the symbol, to which Velvet notices.

"Uh, what's wrong with Neptune?" Velvet asks as the team looks at Blake.

"Oh no," she says, shaking her head in her right hand.

Behind Team SSSN, arena opens up, allowing a crashed pirate ship with several small islands and ocean water to rise up. Neptune's whole body freezes up with fear as Sun pushes him a little bit.

"Neptune's…afraid of the water," Blake confesses, much to their shock.

"He's afraid of water…Well that's gonna screw up their team strategy.

"3, 2, 1…BEGIN!" Oobleck signals the start of the match.

Neptune immediately, and very quickly, races past Team NDGO, and gets up near the top of the rock formation behind them, doing everything her can to avoid the water. This confuses both teams.

"Neptune! What are you doing?!" Sage yells.

"Oh, you know, just uh, gaining higher ground!" He yells back an excuse.

"On the enemies' side?!" Sun yells out.

"They would never expect it!" Neptune replies.

"He's not wrong," Dew points out.

"Open fire!" Nebula commands and they run towards Neptune.

Sun's group run after them, with him jumping into the air ahead of Scarlet and Sage. As Scarlet gets close, Octavia jumps up in front of him. Scarlet takes a swing at her, but she ducks under him while sliding across the sandy floor. She slides in between Sage and Dew. Sage reels his large sword back and makes a heavy swing at Dew while she spins her spear around and the two attacks collide, pushing both fighters back. Dew starts slowly moving her spear over the sand, and creates sand tornados. Three tall sand tornados surround Sage and fuse together. The tornado sends him flying out of the battlefield, landing on the ground with his sword impaling the ground next to him as he is eliminated by ring-out.

"And NDGO gains the advantage," Oobleck says.

Octavia lands near Sun and Scarlet, who watch Sage get knocked out before focusing on her. Octavia spins her sword around, sending out a crescent wave of fire energy, hits the sand, causing a small sand storm to blind Sun and Scarlet. Scarlet gets blinded, but Sun jumps away and starts running by the rock formation. He then looks up to Neptune.

"Neptune!' he calls out as he keeps running.

Neptune looks down before jumping and landing on the ground level. Octavia flips in the air before swinging her kris again, shooting out another fire wave that hits the sand towards Neptune. However, Neptune pulls down his goggles to protect his eyes from the sand, and then fires his rifle back at her. Octavia blocks the shot, but looks up and gets blinded by the sun, allowing Sun to jump up and kick her in the face. Sun smiles as Octavia stumbles back before running at him to attack. Sun pulls out his weapon in staff form, and twirls it around him as he deflects a swing from Octavia's kris. He twirls it around him again before hitting her several times on her body before the last attack knocks her to the ground. Her aura drops to the red and eliminates her from the match.

"Ooooh, and we're down to three-on-three!" Port says.

"Well at least now they've evened things up now. Though with Neptune too scared to fight on one half of the arena, I can't really call it a fair fight," Velvet notes, making Ruby and Yang snicker at the mentioning of Neptune's fear of water.

Meanwhile, Dew makes another tornado that sends Scarlet flying into the air. Luckily, Scarlet flies near the mast of the pirate ship, and grabs it, swinging around to land on his feet on one end. Down below, Nebula fires an arrow at the mast of the ship, as Gwen uses the arrow as a stepping stone to jump onto the arm of the mast that Scarlet is on. When she lands, her crossbow folds and extends into a sword. She then swings her sword at Scarlet, but he blocks with his cutlass. She then makes a right swing, which he ducks under, and then swings her sword again, only for him to deflect it with his cutlass again. Scarlet counters with a right swing of his sword, but she ducks and then hits his face with the butt end of her sword. Scarlet does a spinning kick that hits Nebula, sending her around the mast and onto the other arm. Scarlet quickly spins around the mast in pursuit, swinging his cutlass as he gets near her, but she blocks the strike. Nebula then makes a downward swing at him, colliding with his cutlass, and pushing him back. However, Scarlet grabs her sword and swings his cutlass at her feet, to which she jumps over, before spinning around and elbowing her in the face. This causes Nebula to fall off the mast and hit the ground. Scarlet looks down to see Sun evading Dew's and Gwen's combined attacks, focusing on Gwen as she spins around like a ballerina while throwing her knives at him.

Scarlet pulls out his pistol, firing the grappling hook on the butt end of the gun. The hook grabs Gwen's left ankle.

"Gotcha," Scarlet says as he pulls Gwen up while he comes down.

However, when Gwen gets pulled up, her skirt and tassets open up. She holds up her skirt, but can't stop her throwing knives from falling out of her tassets. Scarlet looks up in horror and holds his body still as the knives fall, just barely avoiding him, to the ground. He then hunches over and sighs in relief. Meanwhile, Dew jumps onto one of the small islands in front of Sun. Sun looks at her before looking up at the palm tree next to him to see a few coconuts hanging above him. He smiles and hits the tree, causing two coconuts to ceremoniously fall into his hands. Sun throws the two coconuts at Dew, but she hits them right back at him with her spear. The two coconuts, now on fire, fly at Sun, but he just barely avoids them. Unfortunately, the two fire coconuts fly towards Scarlet, with one hitting him in the face, making him spin around just in time for the second one to hit him in the nuts. The painful shot takes his aura down to the red zone, eliminating him as he falls to the ground in sheer pain.

"Oooh, that's gotta hurt," Yang notes, laughing at Scarlet's expense.

"Oh well. Better him than me being humiliated," Velvet says.

"…Nuts," Sun comically says.

Sun then looks back to Dew, who smiles and then swings her spear around, creating a water spout that moves towards Sun.

"Uh, Neptune, could use some help buddy," Sun says as he flips out of the way of the tornados coming at him.

"Uh, you know uh, it probably would better if YOU came over HERE. Yeah, I can guard this…sector…We're in lockdown mode," Neptune replies, still trying to avoid the water.

"What are talking about? There's nothing to lockdown!" Sun exclaims while Nebula shoots an arrow at Gwen's hooked foot, freeing her.

"Lockdown, right, you got it," Neptune replies.

Nebula and Gwen jump after Sun, and then Sun looks back before jumping away as Dew impales her spear into the ground where he was standing.

"Dude, I know you're afraid of water, but you gotta-!" Sun begins, but stops when Neptune shoots Dew out of the air as she attacks Sun again.

"There, I helped! Are you happy now?!...Also I am not afraid of water, and I have no idea what YOU are talking about!" Neptune yells back as he points at Sun.

Behind Sun, Dew gets back up as Nebula and Gwen land next to her in the water and take their combat stances.

"NEPTUNE!" Sun screams, pointing at the three girls.

"Okay, fine! Just get out of the water," Neptune says and jumps to the beach edge.

Sun then jumps onto the beach next to Neptune. Neptune spins his gun into its glaive form, and quickly tiptoes to the water, much to Sun's annoyance. Neptune then stabs the electric blade into the water, shocking the three members of Team NDGO. The attack depletes the rest of their auras, eliminating all three and ending the match as the buzzer goes off.

"And with that, Team SSSN moves onto the doubles round," Port announces while Sun and Neptune chest bump then start dancing in celebration of their victory. "You know what I call that victory?" Port asks Oobleck.

"Shocking?" Oobleck tries to make a joke.

"No, well earned. What you said is stupid," Port replies.

"Aw, that was so close," Ruby says, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Close? They won that match because they got lucky if you ask me. They were a mess for most of it," Velvet voices her opinion.

"Looks like the dorks made it to the next round," Yang adds.

Blake looks down to the arena at Sun and Neptune dancing. Sun then looks back at her and winks at her, making Blake blush.

"Emphasis on dork," Blake says as she looks away, smiling and still blushing.

"That concludes the matches for today. Please leave the coliseum in A CALM AND ORDERLY FASHION!" Oobleck screams, making Team RVWBY wince at his loud voice.

"Come on, let's go congratulate them," Yang says as they get up to leave.

As the team leaves, Weiss notices the airship from before flying by the coliseum, and stops, making Ruby walk into her, and Velvet walk into Ruby.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Ruby asks as she backs away from Weiss, who doesn't look back to her.

Seeing the airship makes Weiss show a big smile, "…She's here," she happily says.

Velvet also looks at the airship, _"Now what?"_ she thinks.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Just trying to get through some stuff before I can get to the next chapters that will involve more of Team RVWBY. How will Velvet's meeting with this new arrival go? Until then, please Read and Review?**


	40. Chapter 40: Winter is coming

**Here we are at Chapter 40. It's time to meet our favorite Atlas specialist (honestly, she's the only person in the Atlas military that I like). I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 40. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 40: Winter is coming**

For some odd reason, Weiss could not stop as she runs out of the coliseum, with Ruby and Velvet right behind her.

"So, you have any idea why the Ice Queen is so happy?! Velvet asks.

"How should I know? She just sees that weird airship fly by, says 'she's here', and then she starts smiling like there's no tomorrow. She RARELY smiles this much!" Ruby replies.

They follow Weiss as they eventually make it back to Beacon, and then continue to follow her all the way to the landing pads as one airship lands in front of them.

"Weiss! What is the big deal?! Who is it?! Who is SHE?!" Ruby exclaims as she runs to keep up with Weiss before they stop in front of one of the platforms.

"…Winter," Weiss replies as she looks ahead.

They both look forward to see the airship from earlier had already landed on the platform, with Atlesian knight-200s lined up at the sides of the opened hatch and look to see a woman with two soldiers and two more robots walking out of the ship. The woman turns around to look back at the soldiers getting ready to unload the ship's cargo.

"Winter? You mean your older sister who joined the Atlas military?" Velvet asks.

The woman turns out to be Winter Schnee, Weiss' older sister. She is a tall young woman, with pale skin, white hair and medium-light blue eyes. Her hair is tied up in a bun at the back of her head, with the exception of her bangs, which are brushed off to the right side of her face, and a small lock of hair that reaches below her left ear. Her attire consists of a long white open jacket, with slits open on the sleeves going from her shoulders to her elbows. The jacket is buttoned only under her chest and has gray edging on the sides and around her shoulders. Under the jacket, is a dark blue buttoned up shirt that covers her chest, followed by what looks to be a white shirt above it covering the rest of her upper chest. Around her neck appears to be a gray, cross-pointed pendant with a red gem in the center. She is wearing black gloves that end before her elbows. She is wearing white pants with black vertical lines, and thigh-high high-heeled gray boots that appear to be made of metal. Under the tail of her long jacket is a white translucent piece of fabric that ends to where the tail of her long jacket ends.

"Winter!" Weiss calls out to her sister, surprising Ruby and Velvet. Winter turns around as Weiss and Ruby run up to her. "Winter, I'm so happy to see you!" Weiss happily exclaims before quickly calming herself and acting more appropriately. "Oh, your presence honors us," Weiss adds, politely bowing to Winter.

"Wait, what now?" Velvet mutters.

"…Beacon. It's been a long time," Winter begins as she walks up to them. "The air feels…different," she says as she looks around.

Whether it was the way she talked, or the way she held herself, either way, there was something about Winter…that Velvet just didn't like all that much.

"I mean it is fall, so…And it's probably colder," Ruby says as she rubs her head.

Weiss goes to try and smack Ruby on her head, but Velvet grabs her left arm before she can do so, giving her a look that says to back off, to which she does and focuses back on Winter.

"So, what are you doing here?" Weiss asks.

"Classified," Winter answers vaguely.

"Oh, right. Well, how long are you staying?" Weiss asks again.

"Classified," Winter repeats more sternly.

"Of course," Weiss says, seeming to be used to this.

Ruby looks between them, "…Well, this is nice…I think," she says, hands behind her back and unsure of what to do or say.

" _Not if you ask me,"_ Velvet thinks.

"You're going to love it here! I know you travel a lot, but so much of Beacon is different from Atlas! Vale too. The government and school are completely separate! Can you believe it?! I-," Weiss suddenly goes nuts.

"I'm more than familiar with how this kingdom handles its…bureaucracy. That is not why I came," Winter interjects, starting to annoy Velvet a little bit.

"Right! I'm sorry," Weiss apologizes, lowering her head.

"Nor did I come here to watch my own blood fail so miserably in battle. But it appears I have no choice in the matter," Winter says.

"But, we won," Weiss retorts.

"Only a novice would refer to THAT as a victory. I counted at least THREE strikes missed," Winter criticizes Weiss' fighting in the first round, making her hang her head.

By this point, Velvet has had enough, "Okay, just where do you get off degrading your sister like that?!" Velvet says as she gets right in Winter's face.

"Velvet, wait, it's not what you think!" Weiss tries to calm her down.

"Weiss, who is this?" Winter calmly asks, though the glare that she sends towards Velvet is anything but cool and collected.

"Um, well, this is Velvet. She's one of my teammates and friends. Velvet, please, it's okay," Weiss says as she tries to calm Velvet down.

"Velvet, please, we don't need to fight Weiss' sister," Ruby adds.

"Ah, so you're the new teammate that Weiss wrote about. I see what she meant by 'bold' as she described you," Winter says as she looks Velvet up and down.

Velvet glances at Weiss, "Bold?" she asks.

"Um, I'll explain later," Weis nervously replies.

"Velvet, please, calm down," Ruby pleads as she wraps her arms around Velvet.

Velvet looks back at Ruby, and seeing the begging look in her eyes, sighs and steps back from Winter, though she keeps her cold gaze on her.

"And you would be?" Winter asks Ruby.

"This is Ruby," Weiss introduces her.

"I see. So this is the leader you wrote of. How appropriately…underwhelming," Winter notes as she inspects Ruby.

And just like that, Velvet's irritation at Winter is back with a vengeance.

"Okay, first you insult my friend, your sister, then you insult my leader; my girlfriend. You know, when Weiss came rushing to see you, I thought that maybe you weren't as bad as her father, since we all know how much of a bastard he is, but from what I am seeing, that's not the case," Velvet says.

"Excuse me?" Winter retorts, trying to maintain her calm, silently hating the idea of being compared to her father.

"Velvet please, she's nothing like my father!" Weiss tries to stop Velvet.

"Weiss fought well in the first round. I know your family strives on 'perfection', but the truth is that no one is perfect, especially not you. She fought with her team, and they won, so instead of criticizing her, maybe you should praise her on her victory," Velvet argues with her.

"Velvet please, this isn't the time," Ruby pleads.

"You shouldn't jump to conclusions, little girl. And you should show some respect to your superiors," Winter warns her.

Velvet just gets right in her face, "Why should I respect someone who doesn't seem to have any shred of affection for her younger sister?" she retorts.

"If you don't get out of my face, and apologize right now, you WILL regret it," Winter warns her again.

Velvet stand her ground, "…Make me," she challenges her.

At that moment, Winter conjures a black glyph behind Velvet and pushes her through it, sending her flying back into the school's courtyard. Winter draws her sword and charges at her while Ruby and Weiss can only watch on in worry at seeing their loved ones fight. Velvet quickly gets back on her feet and activates her arm blade as Winter closes in on her. Their blades clash as they stare each other down before Velvet activates her left foot blade and does a high kick, making Winter jump back. Taking the offensive, Velvet runs at her and thrusts her arm blade at her several times, though each time Winter deflects each strike with her sword. When Velvet takes a swing at her, Winter flips over her and lands behind her. Velvet then swings her right foot blade back at her, only for Winter to backflip over her while taking a swing at Velvet that gets blocked by her arm blade. When Winter lands back in front of her, Velvet swings her arm blade at her again, only for their blades to clash once more. However, Velvet fires off her arm gun, forcing Winter to jump back from the shots. Velvet takes a few more shots at her, but Winter deflects each shot while rushing back towards her.

Meanwhile, Ruby and Weiss have no idea how to diffuse the situation.

"Ruby! Do something about Velvet! She's your girlfriend!" Weiss yells.

"Me?! Why don't you do something about Winter! She's your sister!" Ruby retorts.

"I'd say let them fight," they hear behind them and look to see Qrow Branwen standing behind them, taking a swig of his flask. "Hey there, kiddo," he greets his niece.

"Uncle Qrow! What are you doing here?!" Ruby asks, somewhat glad to see her uncle again if not for the current situation in front of them.

"What, I can't visit my favorite nieces? But anyway, why is your girlfriend fighting Winter Schnee?" he asks as he watches Velvet twirl over Winter while swinging her arm blade at her, only to get dodged.

"Well, we were talking with her, and-wait, how do you know my sister?" Weiss asks.

"We've met a few times. That's all I'm gonna say on the matter. Anyway, you were saying?" Qrow asks.

"Well, we were talking, and Velvet got mad with Winter after she said some things about our fight in the first round, and well…" Ruby explains.

"We tried to tell her, but she wouldn't listen. It's not what she thinks. Winter does care about me, she just has a way of doing things, but she accused Winter of being just like my father," Weiss explains.

"Well, it looks like the only thing to do now would be to let them blow off some steam. Best not to get in the middle of that unless you want your head getting sliced off," Qrow notes.

"But what about them? Won't they get really hurt?" Ruby asks.

"Truth be told, I've actually fought against both of them. They should be fine," Qrow says as he drinks his flask again, not really helping calm the two girls.

Weiss then realizes something, "Wait, when did you fight my sister?!" she yells at him.

Back in the fight, swings all three of her blades around at Winter, who backflips away from them a few times, avoiding Velvet's attacks. At one point, the two clash swords as they stare into each other's eyes.

"Well, I see why you had to step out of the first round, and it's not because you're the fifth member of Weiss' team," Winter says.

"I'm just getting started, Ice Queen!" Velvet growls.

Velvet then moves their blades around in order to angle her arm gun at Winter's face. She fires, but Winter moves her head to avoid the shot and then conjures up a glyph under her feet to propel her away from Velvet. Velvet charges at her while firing off a few shots at her. Winter blocks the shots, and gets ready to counter Velvet again. However, when she gets close, Velvet activates her demon claw and swings it at Winter. Initially surprised by it, Winter conjures up a glyph to block the claw strike. Velvet then conjures up a fire arte to blast through the glyph and proceeds to continue her swing at Winter. Winter ducks under the strike and counters with a swing of her sword, but it gets blocked by Velvet's arm blade. Velvet jumps up and encases her claw in fire, reeling it back for another attack. Winter conjures up another glyph from under her feet to propel her away while Velvet smashes her demon claw into the ground, leaving a small crater. She looks up and sees Winter land on one of the archways in front of the school. Not wanting to let her get away, Velvet runs up and, using her claw, she manages to quickly get up on top of the opposite archway in pursuit of her. The two fighters run along the archways, with Velvet using her claw to absorb an ice Dust crystal for an edge. She fires off some ice shards at Winter, who dodges each one. After using up her ice Dust, Velvet conjures up another fire arte and fires it at Winter. The attack seems to connect, engulfing her in smoke, and Velvet halts her advance as she waits for the next move.

A moment later, Winter shoots out from the smoke, and hits a switch on her handle, causing the center of her sword to shoot out as an estoc, giving her two swords. Velvet reels back her claw as she readies herself. Winter swings her swords at her, and Velvet retaliates with her demon claw, the attacks clashing, and the two crashing into the ground. However, they quickly jump out of the smoke, with Velvet's demon claw deactivated in favor of her arm blade. Velvet swings her arm blade at Winter, who parries it with her right sword and then thrusts her left blade at Velvet. Velvet counters by back-flipping with one of her foot blades engaged, deflecting Winter's sword and gaining some distance between them. Winter charges at her, swinging her swords while Velvet uses her blades to counter each of her strikes. The two do a dance of steel as onlookers watch from a safe distance. Ruby and Weiss watch, worried about their respective loved ones, while Qrow just watches with amusement while drinking his flask. At one point, Winter manages to force Velvet back, who back flips a few times to gain much distance between them before she stops. Winter twirls her right sword around before stabbing the ground and activating her summoning, sending out a flock of small Nevermores at Velvet.

The summoned birds swarm around Velvet, but she activates her demon claw again, absorbs a fire Dust crystal, and then smashes her claw into the ground, sending out a fiery shockwave that reduces all the summoned birds to ashes before she looks back to Winter. Winter conjures up another glyph behind her, while Velvet charges up the fire in her demon claw for another attack.

"Hey, kid," she hears behind her and glances back at Qrow, who motions to behind Winter before giving her a sign to end it right there.

Velvet looks and sees what he means. Though not really her style, she decides to go along with his idea and deactivates her demon claw and holsters her blades. Winter looks confused at this, but then Velvet just smirks and gesturing with a finger for Winter to come at her. Angered by this, Winter falls for it and charges at Velvet, her right blade thrusted forth, aimed at Velvet.

"SCHNEE!" a voice suddenly calls out just as Winter's blade impales Velvet's face between the eyes, and she stops her attack.

They all look back to see Ironwood, with Penny behind him, walking towards them.

"General Ironwood, sir!" Winter says as she stands at attention for him.

"What do you think you are doing?" Ironwood asks her.

"She started the altercation sir," Winter claims.

"That's actually not true," they hear and look to the side to see Qrow walking up to them. "The truth is that Ice Queen here had a little argument with Velvet, and rather than hold herself up as an 'esteemed' Atlas Specialist, she attacked the kid first, and Velvet had to defend herself. It definitely doesn't help that a member of the Atlas military would attack a student in broad daylight when she had no reason to, am I right?" Qrow says, smirking at Winter.

Ironwood looks at Winter, "Is this true?" he asks. Winter can only look away in slight shame since it indeed was true. Ironwood then walks over to Qrow. "And you," he says.

"Who? Me?" Qrow asks with mock innocence.

"What are you doing here?" Ironwood asks lowly.

"I could ask you the same thing," Qrow retorts.

"I-," Ironwood begins.

"Now, now, everyone," they hear behind them and look to see Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch enter the scene. "I can assure you that there is a sanctioned fight in the coliseum that has better seats. And popcorn," Ozpin calmly suggest to them.

"Break it up everyone. We will clean up this mess," Glynda says.

"…Let's go," Ironwood orders Winter.

Winter looks back at Velvet one more time, who returns the gaze with narrowed eyes, before she leaves with the General. Ruby and Weiss walk over to join Velvet, and all three see Penny look back and wave to them with a smile. Ruby waves back while Weiss and Velvet show her simple smiles.

Qrow then joins them, "So, how have you kids been? Keeping out of trouble?" he asks.

"Um well-," Ruby begins.

"Qrow," they hear and look back at Ozpin. "A word, please," he says while Glynda cleans up the mess in the courtyard.

"I think I'm in trouble," Qrow whispers to Ruby.

"What did you do this time?" Ruby asks accusingly, hands on her hips.

"Hey, you make it sound like I'm a bad influence," Qrow jokes.

"Maybe if you weren't drunk all the time," Velvet deadpans.

"Well, catch you later, kid," Qrow says, fist-bumping Ruby before he leaves.

Weiss then gest right in Velvet's face, "What were you thinking?! My sister could have killed you!" she shouts.

"Hey, she started it when she insulted not only YOU, but also Ruby. What was I supposed to do, just stand there and do nothing?!" Velvet retorts.

"I told you, it's not what you think. Winter just has a way of doing things! She's not as bad as you think!" Weiss argues with her.

"Guys, please, calm down. This isn't helping anyone," Ruby tries to cool things down between them.

"I don't understand why you're defending her after she insulted you! And do you really expect me to just let her bad mouth Ruby without any repercussions?!" Velvet yells.

"Okay, maybe she as a little harsh, but she didn't mean it. I know my sister, and I know that she's a good person. She's the only one in my family that's actually cared about me!" Weiss retorts.

"If THAT'S what you call 'caring', then I'd hate to see what your family looks like when they are abusive with you!" Velvet yells back.

"Arggh! You are so stubborn!" Weiss replies.

"Took the words right out of my mouth!" Velvet says and then walks away.

"Velvet wait, where are you going?!" Ruby calls out.

"To get some fresh air!" Velvet replies without stopping.

"Fine, I'm returning to the dorm!" Weiss decides and leaves as well, equally angry.

Ruby watches both of them leave, and can only hang her head as she doesn't know what to do.

"Oh, what do I do now?" She wonders with worry.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. A little trouble in paradise for our team. Hope the fight with Winter was good for you guys. Will Velvet and Weiss make up? Will Velvet and Winter ever get along? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	41. Chapter 41: Merry Christmas

**Here we are at chapter 41. This one is a Christmas special not related to the story or where it's at right now. Just a little fun for the holidays. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 41. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 41: Merry Christmas**

It's the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas. The Kingdom of Vale was all decorated for the festivities; people were shopping for family gifts, plans for Christmas dinners, and getting things ready for the special holiday. Even Beacon was getting into it with the school having decorations all over the place. Students were given a few days off from classes to enjoy themselves, something the members of Team RVWBY would take complete advantage of. In their dorm room, they had a tree in one corner, stockings on one wall, and some knick-knacks all over the dorm room.

"Oh, I just love this time of the year! Are you guys as excited as I am?!" Ruby cheers as she puts a few more decorations on the tree.

"Yes Ruby, we're just as excited as you are, we're simply more mature about it than you," Weiss replies with a roll of her eyes.

"This from the girl who tried to put a Santa Clause costume on Zwei yesterday?" Blake asks, eyebrow raised.

"Because I knew he would look supa-dupa oh so cute in that outfit! He would be absolutely adorable!" Weiss retorts.

"And THAT is why he's avoiding you right now," Velvet notes while hanging a few Christmas lights on the outside of the dorm window. She steps back inside only to reach behind her hair and pull out said Corgi who was hanging on to her, then starts to lick her face again. "See what I mean," she says while holding him at arms-length.

"You know, I figured you would be more like a scrooge in all this, Weiss. Besides, I thought you'd have to go home because of your dead-beat dad," Yang says.

"Oh please, he's far too busy using the holiday to make some extra money to be worried about me coming home, so luckily I won't have to go back. Besides…I'd rather spend Christmas here, with you guys, then back home," Weiss says, becoming more bashful.

"Aw, Weiss, that's so sweet!" Yang coos as she walks up to Weiss and wraps her arms around her in a big, bone-crushing hug.

"Yang…can't…breathe," Weiss gasps out.

Yang releases her, "Oh sorry. But still, I'm really glad you feel that way about us. It means a lot," she says and then leans in close to Weiss' ear. "That deserves a special Christmas present this year," she whispers, causing Weiss to blush.

Weiss then pushes her away, "What is wrong with you, you perverted brute?!" she yells.

Velvet rolls her eyes, "Oh, get a room," she says.

This only makes Weiss blush more, "Please, just stop!" she pouts.

"Okay, okay guys, let's give Weiss a break. Besides, I think it's nice that we can all spend Christmas together this year. So let's make the most of it," Ruby says.

Yang then checks her scroll for the time, "I think the Christmas cookies should be done right about now. I'll go check on them," Yang says and goes to leave.

"Christmas cookies! I'll come with you!" Ruby cheers.

Yang immediately stops her, "No, you're staying here, Ruby," Yang tells her.

"Aw, why not?!" Ruby pouts.

"Because the last time I let you near Christmas cookies, you INHALED them all in one go, went on a sugar rush out of the house, and we nearly had to call the police in order to find you. Dad made me promise to make sure you don't get more than a small handful of Christmas cookies from that point on. That's why. Guys, keep an eye on her for me, will ya?" Yang says and then leaves.

Ruby just hunches over and pouts until Velvet walks over after dropping Zwei onto the ground and wraps an arm around her.

"Don't worry, you'll still get some cookies. But still, a sugar rush out of your own house Ruby? Really?" Velvet asks, a little amused at the idea.

"It was one time! Velvet, would you be willing to give me a few of your Christmas cookies, please?" Ruby begs with her signature puppy-dog eyes look.

No matter how hard she tries, Velvet could just not get past that look, "You're no fair," she mutters and relents.

"Yay! You're the best Velvet!" Ruby cheers and kisses her on the cheek, making Velvet blush a little bit.

"You're hopeless," Weiss says, shaking her head.

"Oh please, like you're any better. I'm sure you've had some interesting thoughts about Yang's 'special' Christmas present for you," Blake teases her.

Weiss blushes at this, "I-I-I have no idea w-what you're talking about!" Weiss stutters.

"Weiss, you're looking a little red there. Are you okay?" Ruby asks innocently.

"I'm fine!" Weiss replies.

"Well, you two keep an eye on Ruby for me. I'll go help Yang with the cookies," Velvet says and leaves the dorm.

Velvet walks through the campus dorms, seeing all the decorations up, and other students getting ready for the holidays. She sees some carrying boxes of treats for later, hiding presents behind their backs to make sure the intended person doesn't see them, but what gets her the most is seeing a few a few students having a few kisses under the mistletoe. Blushing a little bit at this, Velvet quickens her pace to the dorm kitchen to help Yang, along with another reason why she needs to see her. After a few minutes, she enters the kitchen to find Yang pulling out a tray from the oven.

Yang then notices Velvet, "Oh, hey Velvet. Want to help me out here? I'm just pulling out the cookies now. I think they came out great," she says and puts the tray on a nearby table.

The cookies are all in different shapes, from gingerbread men, to Santa Clause, to reindeer, and snowmen. Velvet takes a sniff and hums in acknowledgement.

Velvet hums, "Hmm, those smell pretty good. I can see why Ruby would want them so badly," she notes.

Yang snickers, "Yeah, luckily I know better. Though I'm not cruel enough not to give her any cookies. Just not enough to make her go crazy," she says.

"I can understand that…Listen Yang, I was wondering if you could help me with something," Velvet says.

Yang finishes getting the cookies situated on a large plate, "Let me guess, you need help finding the perfect gift for Ruby for Christmas," Yang says with a smug smile.

"Is it that easy to figure out?" Velvet asks.

"No, but the only times you've ever really asked me for help are when it involves Ruby. And it is Christmas after all, so it wasn't that hard to figure out," Yang points out.

Velvet sighs, "Well, I want to get her something nice for the holiday. I've never really done something like this before, because of…well, you know…But after you guys told me about how special this time of the year is, I want her to have a great Christmas this year. I already got you, Blake, and Weiss a gift, but not hers yet. So can you help me out?" Velvet asks.

"Oooh, what did you get me?" Yang asks.

"Not telling," Velvet replies bluntly.

Yang chuckles, "Heh-heh-heh, can't blame me for trying. Don't worry, I'll help you out. These cookies here will help keep Ruby busy, and I'll have Blake and Weiss make sure she doesn't eat them all. I still need to get a nice gift for Weiss anyway. I already got everyone else a gift. Let's just get these cookies to the dorm and then well head out. I'll just tell them that we're going to the training room for a nice workout, they won't care. Come on," Yang says as she carries the cookies out of the kitchen.

"Thanks Yang," Velvet says.

"No problem," Yang replies.

…

After getting the cookies back to the dorm room, and making sure that Weiss and Blake will keep Ruby from eating them all in less than five seconds and leaving some for them, Yang and Velvet left the dorm to head to Vale. When they got there, the streets were a little crowded with shoppers hoping to get some last minute shopping done before the big day.

"So what do you think I should get Ruby for Christmas?" Velvet asks as they walk through the city.

"Well, aside from family, you, and cookies, Ruby loves her weapon, Crescent Rose. So I was thinking maybe get her something like maybe a weapon polishing kit. I talked with Weiss and Blake, and they said they were getting Ruby something different for her. I got her something else as well. It's okay to ask each other that so no one ends up getting the same thing for the same person. Just don't go asking the person whom you're getting the gift for," Yang explains.

"Yeah, I remember that. But, that does sound like a good idea about the polishing kit. I know she spends a bit of her free time in the school forge…Sometimes I can't believe that I would actually get jealous of a weapon for taking up so much of Ruby's time from me," Velvet mutters the last part, though Yang hears it and giggles. "So what are you planning on getting Weiss?" she asks.

"Oh don't worry about that. It's a surprise," Yang replies.

The two head to the first weapon store they find and ask the store clerk if they have any weapon polishing kits for sale. Unfortunately, the clerk had run out before they arrived and wouldn't get anymore until after the holidays. He asked if there was anything else they were interested in, but they declined and left the store, deciding to check out the other weapon stores in the city. One-by-one, however, they come up short and Velvet was starting to get worried about not being able to get a good gift for Ruby as the time flew by. After a while though, they ended up not finding what they were looking for. Yang suggested they get something else for Ruby, but Velvet was stubborn in trying to find the perfect gift for Ruby. After a while, Velvet could only feel sad at not completing her objective as they walk through the city towards some of the clothing stores in town.

"Look, Velvet, don't beat yourself up about it. I'm sure we'll find something for Ruby. She won't really care about what it is, as long as it's from you. The fact that you've tried so hard to find a good gift for her will make her happy either way," Yang tries to comfort her.

Velvet just sighs, "Whatever," she says, not feeling uplifted.

"Look, let's take a few minutes off looking for Ruby's gift and look for Weiss' gift instead. That should help you a little bit. Besides, maybe we'll find something for Ruby while we're at it," Yang says.

"I doubt it. Ruby's not really much of a girlie-girl like Weiss or Blake," Velvet notes.

Despite her protests, Yang takes Velvet into a women's clothing store that sells clothes, purses, and jewelry for women. They split up and while Yang makes an honest effort to find a good gift for her girlfriend, Velvet just walks around glancing at all the merchandise around her. All the clothes are for women or girls that are a bit too feminine for her, something Ruby has pointed out in the past. She knows that Ruby has no interest in purses, preferring her belt to hold her ammo or other stuff. As for the jewelry…yeah, that's not gonna happen. You'd have a better chance of getting Weiss to like heavy metal music than getting Ruby to like fancy jewelry.

"Excuse me, may I help you with anything?" she hears behind her and looks back to see an employee wearing am elf costume standing behind her.

"Huh? Oh, no I'm just looking around. I came in here with a blonde-haired friend who is looking for a gift for her girlfriend, so you can help her out," Velvet replies.

"Hmm, I think you are the one that needs the most help. You look like someone looking for a gift for a special someone, but have so far had no luck in finding it. Am I getting warmer?" she asks.

"Actually…you're pretty dead on. I mean no offense, but the person I want to get a gift for isn't exactly into the kind of stuff you sell here," Velvet says.

However, the woman still keeps smiling, "Oh, you're just not looking hard enough. Come with me, I think I can help you with that," she says.

A while later, Velvet and Yang exit the store, with Yang having a beaming smile on her face, and two bags in her hands, while Velvet had a small bag in her hands.

"Why are you smiling? It's starting to creep me out," Velvet notes.

"Oh, just that I managed to find a little extra something for my present for Weiss. How about you, think you found something nice for Ruby?" Yang asks.

Velvet glances at her gift, "I certainly hope so," she says.

…

Soon enough, Christmas morning came, and the cookie-loving leader of Team RVWBY was the first to wake up. She stretches out her limbs and looks around to see the rest of the team still asleep. Jumping out of her bed, she pulls back the window curtains to let the sunlight come in, which unfortunately wakes up most of the team.

Weiss groans, "Ugh, turn the light off. Five more minutes please," she pleads as she rolls over to keep the light out of her eyes.

"Ruby, too early," Blake adds.

"Come on guys, it's Christmas! Time to get up," Ruby cheers and then walks over to Velvet's bed and leans close to her ear. "Velvet time to wake up. It's Christmas," she says, but Velvet just grumbles in reply.

Ruby then decides to wake her up by nibbling on her ear a little bit. This works as Velvet suddenly bolts up in her bed, blushing a little bit, but then glares at Ruby who appears unfazed.

"Good, you're up. Merry Christmas, Velvet," Ruby says.

Velvet yawns, "*yawn* Merry Christmas Ruby. I guess the rest of the team is up now," Velvet says as she looks behind Ruby to see the rest of the team, even Yang, slowly getting out of their beds.

"Yep! Now come on, let's have breakfast, and then it's time to open presents. Let's go!" Ruby cheers.

After everyone was fully awake and had breakfast, the team were back in their dorm room, sitting around the Christmas tree and presents laying around them.

"Okay, so we'll each exchange gifts, one person at a time starting with Yang and working to me. Sound good?" Ruby asks, and gets four nods in reply. "Okay, Yang first it's your presents," she says.

Yang first opens up a present from Velvet, which is a set of ankle and arm weights.

"For your workouts," Velvet says.

"Aw, thanks Velvet," Yang replies.

Next is from Weiss, some expensive-looking hair products.

"Since you like to take such extensive care with your hair, I figured this would help," Weiss says.

"Oh, you're the best Weiss," Yang says before kissing Weiss on the cheek, making her blush.

The next gift, from Blake, is the new album from her favorite boy band group. Finally is Ruby's gift, which is a weapon kit to maintain her gauntlets. Yang and Velvet can't help but wonder if that was the last one that was available before they went out looking for it.

"Thanks you guys. They're wonderful. Okay Blake, your turn," Yang says.

From Ruby, Blake gets extended magazines for her pistol. Weiss got her some clothes to extend her wardrobe. Velvet got her some new eyeshadow, and Yang got her the newest volume in her ninjas of love series, while making sure that Ruby didn't see it and a note telling Blake not to let Ruby see it.

"Um, thanks you guys. It's been a long time since I've been able to have a nice Christmas like this. I really appreciate it," Blake thanks them.

"Of course, we're all friends here after all. Now then, I believe it is my turn," Weiss says before going to her gifts.

From Ruby, it is a new rotary chamber for her rapier that can hold more Dust vials in it. Blake got her a few classical music albums for her singing, Velvet got her some perfume, and Yang…

"Wait, where's Yang?" Weiss asks.

"Right here," they hear and look back to see Yang walking out of the bathroom, wearing a very sexy Santa's helper outfit, making Weiss blush extensively. In her arms, she holds out a beautiful dress with different shades of white and blue. "You like?" she asks.

"The dress, or the person holding the dress?" Weiss asks.

"You tell me," Yang teases her.

Weiss walks over and takes the dress while giving Yang a kiss on the cheek, "I'll say that it's a bit of both. The dress is beautiful Yang. Thank you," Weiss says.

"Don't worry. When it's just the two of us, I'll give you another 'special' gift," Yang whispers, making Weiss blush again.

"Enough, you blonde brute. V-Velvet, I believe it's your turn," Weiss tries to change the subject.

Velvet opens up her presents and finds a small scope for her gauntlet from Ruby, some clothes from Weiss, a few books from Blake, and some hair products from Yang.

"Thanks you guys. Like Blake, it's been a long time since I've been able to celebrate a holiday like this. You've really made it special," Velvet says.

"Of course. We're basically like family, and that's Christmas is all about," Yang says.

"Well, Ruby, you're up," Velvet says.

Ruby quickly tears off the wrappings of her gifts and finds some Dust rounds from Weiss, books about weapons from Blake, and a new scope for her scythe from Yang.

"Aw, these gifts are awesome! Thanks you guys," Ruby cheers.

"Hold on Ruby. You still have Velvet's gift," Yang points out.

Ruby looks at Velvet holding a small box and hands it to her. Ruby opens it up and gasps in awe, eyes wide. Inside is a beautiful silver necklace with a silver rose emblem at the center. Ruby turns the rose over to find the words 'my sweet rose' engraved on the back. Ruby slowly turns to Velvet, who rubs her head, a little embarrassed.

"I know you're not really into jewelry, but when I saw that, I thought that maybe you'd-," Velvet begins until she's tackled to the floor by Ruby.

"Oh Velvet! I love it! I love it! I love it! I love it!" Ruby yells as she wraps her arms around her girlfriend.

Velvet returns the embrace, "I'm glad you do. Merry Christmas Ruby," she says.

"Alright, enough of that mussy stuff. Let's get this Christmas party started!" Yang cheers and goes to get the eggnog.

"Oh no you don't. I'm going to make sure you don't try to spike it like you tried to do back at Pyrrha's birthday party," Weiss says as she follows her.

"I'll keep an eye on them," Blake says and leaves as well.

Ruby just looks at Velvet as things get quiet," I'm sorry my gift wasn't as awesome as yours Velvet," Ruby says, a little sad.

"What are you talking about?" Velvet says and cups Ruby's chin to give her a gentle kiss. "In my opinion, I got the best Christmas gift of all. Merry Christmas Ruby," Velvet says lovingly.

Ruby kisses her back, "Merry Christmas Velvet."

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. The next chapter will get back to where we left off in the story. I just wanted to do this because it's that time of the year, and Christmas is my favorite holiday. Hope you liked my special holiday chapter. Until next time, please Read and Review. Merry Christmas!**


	42. Chapter 42: Understanding

**Here we are at Chapter 42. Time to get back into the story and see if Velvet and Weiss can patch things up. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 42. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 42: Understanding**

Velvet walks off to who knows where, just trying to get as much space between herself and Weiss after their little argument. Anyone who is nearby quickly put twenty feet between themselves and her when they see the livid look on her face.

 _"I don't get it. Why would Weiss defend Winter after she berated her like that. Sure, she may be her older sister, but that doesn't give her the right to bring Weiss down like that. Ugh, and I thought I had a dysfunctional family,"_ she thinks as she continues walking.

After walking for who-knows-how-long, Velvet somehow comes across a pavilion not too far away from the school. The pavilion is ornate and open to the air, with the walls made up of two rows of columns and archways through which the sunlight streams in. Vines grow beautifully around the columns, with plants hanging down from above and growing in vases. Inside the pavilion, a large fountain is seen at the center, with seats and tables at the edges. A water feature of a lion is seen at one end. Looking around, Velvet finds that the place is empty. Walking into the center of the pavilion and staring at the fountain, Velvet finds the atmosphere here a little relieving in a way and decides to cool off here for a while. She walks over and sits at one of the tables.

Velvet sighs, "This day's not even over, and I'm already beat. I think I'll take a little nap for right now," she mutters and closes her eyes as she falls asleep.

…

Meanwhile, Weiss walks back to her dorm room, looking just as angry as Velvet. Anyone nearby quickly run for the hills in fear of being frozen solid by the ice queen.

"That stupid idiot. Winter was not being degrading of me at all. She had no reason to explode on her like that and go from an argument into an all-out brawl. Geez," Weiss says and finally reaches her dorm room.

She opens the door, and finds only Yang inside, sitting on her bunk and playing a game on her scroll.

"Oh, hey Weiss. What's up? Did you get to see your sister?" Yang asks, but when Weiss ignores her and sits on her bunk and pulls out a textbook with an angry scowl, she grows concerned. "Weiss, what's wrong?" she asks as she jumps off her bunk and walks over to Weiss.

"Nothing's wrong. I was able to see my sister, and then I decided to come back here. It's no problem," Weiss replies without looking up from her textbook. Yang, however, just sits next to Weiss and quickly pulls the book out of her hands. "Hey, Yang, I'm not done with that!" Weiss exclaims.

Yang puts the book away and looks back at Weiss, "Weiss…what's wrong? You can talk to me," Yang pleads with her.

Weiss just crosses her arms and looks away, "I said it's nothing. I'm fine!" Weiss retorts.

"Weiss-," Yang begins.

"I said I'm fine, OKAY!" Weiss yells as she faces Yang again. However, when she sees the half-scared, half-saddened face of Yang, she quickly loses her anger. "Y-Yang, I'm sorry, I just-I-," Weiss stutters until Yang wraps her arms around her and she stops talking.

"Weiss, please, calm down. Just tell me what's wrong. You're my girlfriend, and I hate seeing you like this. Please, let me help you," Yang pleads with her as she rubs her hands up and down on Weiss' head.

Unable to find the desire to break free, Weiss relents, "I just…Ruby, Velvet, and I went to see my sister. She greeted me as she usually does, which isn't as bad as you'd think, sort of. But Velvet got mad at her, and they ended up getting into an argument that evolved into a fight. After the fight was stopped, Velvet and I argued and we both stormed off in opposite directions. She went one way, and I came here, and that's about it," Weiss explains the earlier events.

"What did your older sister say?" Yang asks, still keeping her arms around Weiss.

"Well, she commented on my performance during the first round in the tournament, and when she asked me about how I was doing here, I assumed she meant my school ranking. However, that wasn't what she meant and she…smacked me on the head-," Weiss says.

"She did WHAT?!" Yang yells as she looks at Weiss, eyes turning red.

Weiss puts her hands on Yang's cheeks, "Yang, it's okay. It didn't really hurt. Besides, I've been through worse," she says and kisses Yang's cheek to calm her down, which it does as her eyes turn lilac again. "As I was saying, I introduced her to Velvet and Ruby. Velvet didn't really care about what about what Winter said about her, but when she made a comment about Ruby, Velvet flipped and they ended up fighting," Weiss explains.

"Okay, from what I can tell, it looks like Velvet was just defending you guys," Yang notes.

"But it's not what it looks like. Winter was the one that helped me with my training to become a huntress back in Atlas. She was a little tough on me, but she's a soldier; that's how they're supposed to act. Plus, she was just keeping up appearances. She really does care about me, she just has a certain way of showing it," Weiss says.

"…Well, did you ever think about how Velvet sees it for a second?" Yang asks.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Weiss asks.

"Well, remember what Velvet said about her past. How her brother-in-law killed her younger brother, and then tried to have her killed several times in the past. I don't know, maybe she saw something like that here with you and your sister. Think about it, we all know that your family, aside from you and your sister, are a bunch of jerks. Maybe she sees a little bit of herself in you, or maybe of her younger brother in you, and was just acting on that protective instinct of hers. I know that if someone insulted Ruby or you, I would break them in half, so maybe that's how she feels here," Yang explains.

"I…didn't really think of it that way," Weiss mutters.

"Exactly. Now, I'm not saying your sister is a bad person, but you have to remember, Velvet doesn't know her that well, and does not have a good track record when it comes to things like family. What I think you should do is first find Velvet after she's cooled off and try and talk things out with her. Tell her about Winter so she can better understand her and maybe get them together to talk things out. You can't just avoid each other all day, every day you know. We do live together after all," Yang suggests.

"I…suppose I could give it a shot. I just hope she'll be willing to listen to what I have to say," Weiss notes.

Yang kisses her on her cheek, "Don't worry about. Thanks to Ruby, Velvet's become more open and a little mellower since she joined the team. You'll be fine," Yang says.

"Thanks Yang. I guess I'm quite lucky to have such a dependable girlfriend such as you," Weiss says.

"Hey, I always knew I'd melt that ice cold heart of yours. After all, I burn you know," Yang makes a terrible pun.

"On second thought, maybe I should rethink this relationship," Weiss flatly replies.

"Hey!" Yang retorts.

Neither of them realize that Weiss forgot to close the dorm room door…nor that Winter was standing outside of their room, listening in on their conversation before she decided to leave.

…

Back in the pavilion, Velvet was enjoying the peace and quiet, finally starting to cool off after the events of earlier that day. Of course, all good things must come to an end as she hears footsteps approaching her. She opens her eyes and looks to find the last person she wanted to talk to, Winter Schnee. In her hands are three plates with crescent rolls and strawberries.

"What are you doing here?" Velvet asks, eyes narrowed.

"I didn't come to fight. I only came to talk. May I sit with you?" Winter asks.

"Be my guest. I doubt you would listen to me otherwise," Velvet says. Winter places the plates down and sits across from Velvet. "What's with the plates? Some kind of piece offering? And why are there three?" she asks.

"Peace offering, no. And there are three because I asked my sister to join us here shortly, though she doesn't know that you're here. I wanted to take this time to speak with you, WITHOUT my sword this time," Winter explains.

Velvet crosses her arms, "And what would we have to talk about?" she asks, a hint of defiance in her words.

"Family. I would like to know more about your family," Winter asks out of nowhere.

"Why would I tell you about that? And what's with the sudden interest in my past?" Velvet asks.

"How about I tell you about my family first?" Winter suggests, and eventually Velvet nods. "Well, I'm sure you are already aware of my father, as Weiss has told you. Like her, I do not get along well with him, and it has only gotten worse since I joined the military. I don't have a good relationship with my younger brother, just like Weiss, because he is more like our father's loyal little pet. A selfish boy that only lives to please his father in order to get under his good graces. And finally, there's my mother. It's not that we don't get along, rather it's more like she's too drunk or busy finding her next drink to really have a relationship with me. That's about it," Winter explains.

"You forgot about the part where you treated Weiss like trash," Velvet says with some venom in her words.

"Then allow me to explain myself…As a soldier, I have had to see many things beyond the walls of the kingdoms, things that Weiss may one day face. As a soldier, I have to be strong to survive, and sometimes have to be cold as well. When Weiss decided to become a huntress, I trained her at our home when I was around. I had to be tough on her, because it was the best way to prepare her. To be able to leave our prison of a home, and break free from our father's grasp like I did," Winter explains, making Velvet glance away in thought. "Believe me when I say that I love my little sister. All I want is for her to walk her own path in life, free from our father. I may be hard on her sometimes, but it's because the dangers outside the kingdoms will not be merciful, and I just want her to be okay. I don't want to lose her," Winter says, her expression softening.

Velvet looks back at her, less disdain in her eyes, "I…guess I may have misjudged you. I'm…protective of my friends, so when I saw you behave the way you did with Weiss earlier, I just reacted on emotion and instinct. Maybe I went a little too far. It's just…my family history isn't a good one, and I don't really like talking about it," she says.

"Well, I was actually a little glad you did. It just means that you care about my sister. I'm glad she's found such good friends. And yes, having do deal with a brother-in-law like yours definitely would complicate things," Winter says, shocking Velvet.

"What? How did you-," Velvet begins.

"I overheard my sister talk with her girlfriend about it, though they didn't go too deeply into detail, just the basic stuff. I am sorry you had to go through all that," Winter stops her.

Velvet grunts, "Hmph. You really are a soldier huh," Velvet says.

"Well, I was there more in the capacity of a worried older sister, really. And I will be asking Weiss about her significant other when she arrives. Would you be willing to tell me some things about them?" Winter asks with a small smirk.

Velvet quickly figures out where she's going with this, "…Only if you tell me some things about Weiss from back home. And they better be good," Velvet says, showing the same smirk.

"You know, Velvet Crowe, I think you and I can become good friends," Winter replies.

…

Weiss walks through the school grounds towards the pavilion after receiving a text message from her sister. Her business with the headmaster and the general had ended and she wanted to speak with her while she had some time.

"I hope my sister has calmed down somewhat. Still it will be nice to speak with her after so long. And after we're done, I'll find Velvet and talk with her. While I still don't like how she treated my sister, I didn't do much better with her, so I need to fix that," Weiss thinks out loud.

However, as she nears the pavilion, she can hear the faint sound of laughter ahead of her. This confuses her a little bit, and as she gets closer, the laughter gets louder…and more familiar. When she finally gets into the pavilion, her eyes widen at the sight before her. Velvet Crowe and her sister Winter Schnee, two woman who were previously trying to KILL each other, are now laughing together like they were best friends.

"You mean Weiss tried to cook something for Yang one time and ended up burning a cake three times before she decided to just buy one instead?" Winter asks as she tries to calm her laughing down.

"Velvet chuckles, "Heh-heh-heh-heh, yep, not to mention the third one ended up blowing up when she tried to take it out of the oven too soon. It covered most of the kitchen, and ALL of her. It was ridiculous. When we showed up and saw the mess, Weiss tried to run out of there, only for Yang to stop her. Yang then started licking the cake batter that was on her face. Weiss freaked out, got as red as Ruby's cape, and quickly made her way out of there. She ended up locking herself in the bathroom for an hour as she tried to wash the cake batter out of her hair. Meanwhile, we had to clean up the kitchen. Not that fun, but it was worth it to see that look on her face," Velvet says as she starts snickering again.

"Oh my, I only wish I could've seen that for myself," Winter says.

"Actually, I think I could help you out with that," Velvet says.

"W-W-What…" they hear and look to see Weiss with a flabbergasted look on her face. "W-W-What is going on here?" she stutters.

"Oh, hey Weiss. I was just chatting with your sister here. I must admit, she's pretty cool once you get to know her. No pun intended," Velvet says, gesturing to Winter.

"None taken. And I must say the same for you. Weiss, I can't believe you didn't tell me about your little disaster in the school kitchen. You and I know that you don't know how to cook that well. It was definitely entertaining to say the least," Winter adds.

Weiss starts looking back and forth between the two woman, "What-but-how…I thought you two hated each other?!" she yells.

"Well, I admit that we didn't exactly start off on a good note, but after talking with each other for a little while, we've learned to move past that, and now we get along pretty well. And she has told me some interesting things about you back when you were little. Such as that one time when you tried using your semblance and some ice Dust to make a little skating ring back home…and ended up accidently using the wind Dust instead and blew yourself into three trees. I never would've thought the Schnee heiress would screw up with Dust," Velvet says.

Weiss' jaw drops wide and her face goes red. Here, her friend and sister were getting along. While that's good, what's definitely NOT good is that they're both revealing her most embarrassing moments in life to each other.

"It was one time! Winter, please, don't tell her anything else! Velvet, you too! Please, that's enough!" she begs them, which only ends up being even more embarrassing.

"That reminds me, Weiss, you never told me you had a girlfriend," Winter says, getting a little more serious.

Immediately, Weiss becomes paler than anyone thought possible. She knew her father would not approve of Yang, and never bothered telling him. But she wasn't sure if she could tell Winter. She valued her older sister's opinion, but she was afraid of what her opinion of Yang would be if she told her the truth.

"Well, I, um…" Weiss stutters.

"Weiss. Come sit," Winter gestures to the third chair in between them, though it sounded nothing like a request. Weiss sits down and finds it a little hard to look her sister in the eye right now. "Weiss, look at me," Winter says, and Weiss finally does. "Now then, I want to know why you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend," Winter questions her.

Weiss looks at her sister sadly, but sighs in resignation, "I didn't tell you because…I was afraid. I was afraid of what you would think about her. About me. Of course, Father wouldn't approve, but don't care about his approval. However, I do care about yours, and I was afraid you wouldn't approve. One because she's a girl, and two, because she's not like us. She's not from a high-society family, and she doesn't act like us either. I was afraid that you would make me break up with her, and honestly…I don't want to do that," she says.

Winter's expression softens a little bit at this, "Weiss…what do you think about her? About Yang?" she asks.

"Well…She's not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to her grades. She would slack off rather than study. She leaves her stuff lying around. Her attire can be ridiculous sometimes. She's loud and rambunctious, and don't even get me started on her fighting style…But…She's also strong, and really caring. She listens to what I have to say, and values my opinion. When she does something she likes, she gives it her all, and she's always been there for me. She cares about my feelings, and is willing to go at my pace. She does her best to make me happy, and I just feel more…loved and free when I'm with her," Weiss says, smiling at thinking of her girlfriend.

"Does she make you happy?" Winter asks.

"Yes. Happier than I've ever been before," Weiss replies.

"Then I approve," Winter declares.

"Wait, what?" Both Weiss and Velvet ask, confused.

"I'm saying I approve of your choice for a significant other. Weiss, all I want is for you to be happy, and if this girl makes you happy, and treats you right, then I see no reason to separate you two. Miss Crowe her has told me much about you two, and after hearing your opinion of Miss Xiao Long, I can say that I am happy that you found someone that cares about you so much," Winter explains.

Weiss smiles at this, "Thank you, Winter. I'm happy to hear that," she says.

"Of course…However, you will have to pay a price for keeping such as secret from me," Winter notes.

"Wait, what?" Weiss asks, getting nervous.

"Oh yeah, while we're at it, maybe now you could explain why you described me as 'bold' in your letter to Winter," Velvet adds.

"Uh, hold on for a second," Weiss says, but the older women just leer at her, "Um, can't we talk about this?" Weiss pleads.

The other two glance at each other, "…No," they say together before smirking towards Weiss.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Well, at least things have smoothed over for Velvet and Winter, even if it's at the expense of Weiss. This past episode of RWBY left me worried about her, so I thought about doing something like this for her. Plus, I will NOT lose hope for her. Anyway, will Weiss survive Velvet and Winter's plan for her, LOL? What awaits them in the next stage of the tournament? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	43. Chapter 43: Yes, Master

**Here we are at Chapter 43. This past episode of RWBY was INTENSE. I can't wait for the finale, but I also hate that volume 5 is about to end. Oh well. Anyway, let's get back into the story. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 43. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 43: Yes, Master**

"You'll never beat me, old man!" Ruby suddenly shouts.

"Heh, you're nothing but talk, kid," her uncle Qrow replies.

"You can do it Ruby!" Yang cheers her sister on.

While Weiss is with her sister (and Velvet), and Blake is off somewhere, Ruby and Yang are hanging out with their Uncle Qrow, playing videogames in their dorm room, with Ruby and Qrow sitting on the floor while Yang sits on Weiss' bunk, cheering Ruby on. However, Qrow emerges victorious.

"Soaring Ninja wins! Total annihilation!" the game says as Qrow's character slices off the head of Ruby's character.

"Ouch," Yang mutters while Ruby looks shocked and then hangs her head in defeat.

"And by the way, don't ever call me OLD," Qrow playfully mocks her.

"My turn!" Yang says as she pushes Ruby away, taking her spot on the floor and Ruby's controller.

"New challenger approaches," the game says as another match begins.

"Now, where was I?" Qrow says as he and Yang begin their match.

"You were telling us about your last mission," Ruby eagerly replies as she pops up behind them.

"Right, right…I come across a small village in the swamps west of Mistral. Right of the bat, I knew something wasn't right," Qrow tells his story.

"What were you doing there?" Ruby asks, absorbed into the story.

"I needed information. Tired from battling Grimm along the way, I decided to start my search at the town's inn. The place was crawling with lowlifes and thugs, even a few huntsmen that I could only assume had been hired by less than reputable people for less than respectable jobs. And that's when it happened…" Qrow says, getting ominous.

"What happened?" Yang asks.

"…I was defeated…By the mere sight…of the inn keeper's SKIRT LENGTH," Qrow jokes, getting a dog pillow thrown in his face which he catches.

"Soaring ninja wins. Total annihilation!" the game says, showing that Qrow won because of his story distracting Yang.

Qrow puts the pillow away as he and Ruby look at Yang, who looks pissed.

"You are the WORST!" Yang yells at him, angry that Qrow played dirty.

Qrow and Ruby just laugh at her expense.

"Best two out of three?" Qrow suggests as Ruby gets up to sit on Weiss' bed.

"So Uncle Qrow, did you get in trouble with Ozpin?" Ruby playfully asks as she sits on Weiss' bed.

"Nah, me and Oz go way back. We're cool," Qrow waves it off.

"Heh, cool for an old guy," Yang jokes.

"NOT funny," Qrow retorts.

"Ready…Fight!" the game goes off, and Qrow and Yang play their next match, using their scrolls as controllers.

"So, how have your girlfriends been doing with you crazy kids? Having second thoughts yet?" he jokes.

"Uh, no. Weiss would never break up with some as awesome as me. She hit the jackpot," Yang says as she plays against her uncle.

"Yeah, we've been having a lot of fun together. And when we're not doing that, we're saving the day like professional huntsmen like you and Dad," Ruby says.

"Oh really?" Qrow replies.

"Pssh, yeah, read the news sometime. We TOTALLY saved Vale while you were gone," Yang adds as she plays, her tongue sticking out in concentration.

"Funny, because I heard Vale suffered a Grimm attack after you ALMOST managed to stop a train," Qrow counters as he beats Yang again.

"Soaring ninja wins! Total annihilation!" the game says as Yang slams her arms down, a scowl on her face.

"But they don't give out medals for ALMOST," Qrow teases her as he leans in, while she scowls at him.

"They do and they're called SILVER," Ruby counters, right index finger in the air.

"Well we helped take down Roman Torchwick. He's locked up in Ironwood's ship, and crime's been down ever since. That's basically a bounty mission," Yang adds.

"Sure, you may be acting like huntresses, but you're not THINKING like one. You really think four girls and their friends can end all crime in a kingdom?" Qrow questions them.

"I mean I did until you said that," Ruby says, losing some confidence while poking her two index fingers together.

"Violence hasn't dropped since Roman got nabbed. It's stopped. COMPLETELY. No White Fang activity ANYWHERE around the city. You cut off the head of a King Taijitu, but now the second head's calling the shots. That's what Ironwood can't get through that thick, metal head of his," Qrow explains.

Yang and Ruby look at each other, "You…know the general?" Yang asks as they look back at him.

"Hey, I know everybody to some extent. Remember, you're talking to a member of the coolest team to ever graduate Beacon," Qrow says and then pulls out a picture with four people on it.

The picture showed a young Summer Rose, mostly covered in her white cloak, Taiyang, Qrow who pretty much looked the same…and another woman with a sword in a large scabbard.

"Ah, Team STRQ, that's when I met your parents," Qrow lovingly says, moving his thumb to block the face of the woman next to him in the picture. "We were pretty well known back in the day," Qrow says, while Yang just focuses on the woman in the picture.

"Well known for crummy fashion sense," Ruby remarks.

"Hey, we looked GOOD. And I have a number of INAPPROPRIATE stories that'll back that up," Qrow says, wiggling his eyes at the last three words, but then notices Yang's expression. "But, I'll save those for when you're older," he says as he puts the picture away, making Yang shake her head out of her daze.

"Ew, gross!" Ruby cringes in disgust at the thought as Qrow stands up.

"Anyway, I'm too old to be hanging out with a bunch of kids. You're gonna cramp my style," Qrow playfully says as he goes to leave the dorm, but then stops before the doorway. "Look…Just remember that you still got a long way to go," he begins, then turns to them. "And don't think for a second that graduating means you're done. Every day out there is worth a week in this place. You two, you're gonna go far. But only if you keep learning. If you never stop moving forward," Qrow teaches them and then leaves the room.

The sister watch him leave and think on his words, until Ruby's scroll goes off and she pulls it out.

"Huh, it's a message from Velvet. 'Come to local pavilion, and bring Yang. Velvet'. I wonder what's going on," Ruby says.

"Well, let's go find out," Yang says and the two leave the dorm room. As they leave the dorm and make their way towards the pavilion, they spot Blake heading in the same direction. "Hey, Blake, where are you heading?" Yang calls out as she waves towards her partner.

"Oh, hi guys. I got a text from Velvet, saying to meet her at the pavilion. What about you?" Blake asks.

"Same thing. I wonder what she wants," Ruby wonders.

A few minutes later, they get close to the pavilion, and they start hearing some laughing ahead of them, in the pavilion. A little confused by this, they make their way inside the pavilion…What they see in front of them stupefies them.

"OH…MY…GOD…" Yang utters, jaw-struck.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing," Ruby utters.

"…I think I've been spending too much time with my books. I'm starting to see things," Blake adds.

In front of them is Velvet and Winter, having some tea and treats, making light conversation. But, that's not what's shocking them. What's shocking them is Weiss…standing there behind the table…in a cute maid outfit, with the most embarrassed facial expression of all time. The outfit has a short skirt, white thigh-high stockings, shoulder length black gloves, and frills all over.

Velvet then notices her teammates' presences, "Oh, hey guys. I was just talking with Winter here. We've managed to get past our little…altercation…earlier, and have been getting along better. Which reminds me, Winter, would you do the honors?" Velvet gestures to Winter.

"Of course, please greet our guests…Weiss," Winter instructs her sister/maid.

Weiss' crimson red face turns even redder (if that's even possible) as she slowly steps around the table and walks up to the rest of Team RVWBY.

Weiss slowly bows to them, "Welcome and good afternoon…my…Masters," Weiss says, groaning inwardly. _"To think that my own sister and teammate would force me into such a humiliating state."_

Ruby is doing her best not to snicker (and failing miserably), Blake is looking surprised (while secretly taking pictures with her scroll hiding behind her back), and Yang just explodes in laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh my God! You are so cute and adorable! I think I'm going to die of laughter right about now!" Yang shouts, holding her chest as she hunches over in laughter.

"That can be arranged…" Weiss mutters, though her sister hears her.

"Now, now Weiss, that's no way to treat our guests. Please, escort them to their table and get them something to drink," Winter says, showing a subtle smile on her face.

Weiss' eyebrow twitches and she forces a smile, "Forgive me, my…Masters. Allow me to escort you to your table," she says, groaning on the inside. They walk to one table and the rest of the team take their seats. A moment later, Weiss brings over some tea cups and a pot of tea and pours them a cup each. "Please, enjoy," Weiss says, still holding a forced smile.

"Well, I'm certainly not going to waste this opportunity," Yang notes and takes a sip of her tea. "Hm, not bad," she says.

"Well, I do enjoy a good cup of tea," Blake says and sips her tea as well while reading a book she brought with her.

"Um, is anyone else confused about why Weiss is wearing a maid outfit and serving us like this?" Ruby asks, being the voice of reason here, and then looks back at Velvet. "Velvet, what's going on here?" she asks.

"Oh, Weiss is just taking a punishment that Winter and I devised for keeping her relationship with Yang a secret from her sister," Velvet explains.

"Which reminds me…" Winter says and turns to face Yang. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Yang Xiao Long. I wish to thank you for taking such an interest in my sister," she says, holding out her hand.

Yang hesitantly shakes it, "Um, sure. I thought you'd be more against her dating me since one, I'm a girl, and two, I'm not from high society," she says.

"Oh, I'm aware. However, I've seen firsthand how much you care about my sister and see how much she's matured because of you and her friends. It's good that's she's grown so much. If you've had anything to do with that, then I see no reason to keep you two from seeing each other," Winter explains.

"Um, okay, cool," Yang replies.

"Weiss, how about some sweets for the rest of the team," Velvet orders the maid.

"As you wish, Master," Weiss replies and picks up a plate with some slices of cake on it and starts placing a slice of cake on each girl' plates. "Please, enjoy," she bows to them and returns to her spot in between them.

Yang is snickering and taking some pictures, making Weiss even more embarrassed.

"Oh man, this may be the best day of my life," Yang mutters.

 _"This must be the worst day of my life,"_ Weiss groans.

"Um, where did you guys get a maid outfit for Weiss anyway?" Blake asks.

"Actually…How did you get a maid outfit for her?" Velvet asks Winter, also confused.

"That's classified," Winter replies while sipping her tea.

"Well, where are Weiss' normal clothes?" Ruby asks.

"They're safe. Though she won't be going back into them anytime soon," Velvet notes, making Weiss whine a little bit.

After a few more minutes of enjoying a good cup of tea, and cake, at Weiss' expense, Ruby and Blake decided to leave. However, Yang and Velvet wanted to stick around because Winter wanted to help Weiss with her summoning.

"So, from your last letter, you're still having trouble with your summoning. Let's see if we can fix that, shall we?" Winter says.

"Um, sure but…can I please get out of this ridiculous getup and back into my normal clothes?" Weiss pleads.

"No, you'll have to where that until I leave and you return to your dorm room," Winter rejects her pleas.

Yang and Velvet sit at one table, watching as Weiss conjures up a glyph in front of her, only this one is different than her usual. Meanwhile, Winter stands behind her.

 _"I can't believe my own sister is making me train while wearing this ridiculous maid outfit,"_ Weiss inwardly whines.

"Excellent form. Now, think to your fallen foes, the ones that forced you to push yourself past who you were, and become who you are now," Winter instructs Weiss. The glyph below starts to flutter. "Think of them, and watch as they come to your side," Winter continues.

Weiss clenches her teeth in frustration as the glyph spins faster, and then gets smaller.

"I CAN'T," Weiss proclaims, stomping her right foot as the glyph dissipates.

Velvet has to hold Yang back a bit in order to keep the elder siblings from fighting with each other as the training session goes on.

Winter smacks her head, "Stop doubting yourself," Winter berates her.

"I'm TRYING!" Weiss retorts as she looks at Winter.

"If this is what you call trying, then you have NO hope of winning the tournament, let alone succeeding as a huntress. Why don't you just move back home? I'm sure Father will give you a nice job as a RECEPTIONIST," Winter criticizes her.

"I don't NEED his charity," Weiss retorts, looking away.

Winter leans in, "But you DO need his money, don't you," Winter says, seeing through her sister.

"WHAT?! How did you know about that?!" Weiss exclaims as she looks back at Winter, who leans back.

"Lucky guess. I may have been in a similar situation when I joined the military. So what have you done this time?" Winter asks.

"Well, that's the thing, I'm really not sure. I went to pay for lunch the other day, but my card didn't work," Weiss explains as Winter walks around her.

"How EMBARRASSING," Winter sarcastically replies, making Yang snicker and Velvet smirk.

"I know!" Weiss shouts as she turns to look at Winter, who just shakes her head. "Well it WAS. Why would he cut me off like that?" Weiss says.

"Perhaps so you'd stop avoiding him and call home," Winter answers.

Weiss grinds her teeth and turns around to create the same glyph from before, but it spins faster than normal. Winter walks up to her and places a comforting hand on her left shoulder.

"Emotions can grant you strength, but you must never let them overpower you," Winter calms her down, making the glyph dissipate again.

"Indeed. Now, it sounds, to me, like you have two choices in front of you. You can either call him, beg for his money back, and explain once more why you want to study at Beacon over Atlas…Or, you could continue to explore Remnant. Discovering more about the world, and honestly…more about yourself," Winter advises her, making Weiss look down in thought. "…It's time for me to go," Winter says and brings Weiss in for a warm hug. Which she lovingly returns.

"It was really good to see you Winter," Weiss says as the end the embrace.

"Until next time, sister," Winter says. She then turns to face Velvet and Yang who approach. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Yang Xiao Long. I'm glad that my sister found someone who cares about her so much," she says.

"Believe me, it wasn't easy, but…she's worth it," Yang says as she stares at Weiss, who blushes in response.

Winter smiles and then looks at Velvet, "I apologize for our earlier, introductions, Velvet Crowe. I can now see that you were only acting in Weiss' interests. I'm glad I got the chance to know you," Winter says, offering Velvet a hand.

Velvet shakes her hand, "No problem. Next time though, no blades…unless you want to make it an official match of sorts," Velvet suggests.

"I think that would be enjoyable," Winter says and then takes her leave after waving Weiss goodbye.

The teammates watch her leave before Weiss hunches over in exhaustion, "…Now I can finally get out of this ridiculous outfit," she sighs.

Yang glances at Velvet, who returns the glance, "Yeah, I wouldn't be too sure about that," Yang says.

Weiss turns to face them, "What are you talking about?" she asks.

Yang suddenly wraps her arms around Weiss in a bear hug, "Because I want to enjoy this moment for as long as possible. Velvet, we'll meet you back at the dorm…Oh, and you can take Weiss' regular clothes back with you," Yang says.

"WHAT?!" Weiss screams.

"See you guys later," Velvet nonchalantly says while taking Weiss' clothes away.

Weiss tries to get her clothes back, back can do nothing while in the straight-jacket that is Yang's hug, "Yang, please. I need to get my clothes back. If anyone else sees me like this, I'll never be able to show my face back at school ever again," Weiss pouts. Yang then picks Weiss up bridal style, surprising her. "Y-Yang, what are you doing?" she asks, blushing.

Yang walks over to sit on the edge of the fountain after grabbing a small plate of sweets from one of the tables.

"I figured since you've went through all that trouble, you deserve a little reward," Yang says as she holds out a strawberry for her.

"Yang, I don't need you to feed me," Weiss says.

"Then how about this? You let me feed you a few sweets, and then maybe I can do something for you the next time that we have some time to ourselves," Yang suggests.

"Like what?" Weiss asks, a little curious.

"Since you were a being a maid for me, how about the next time we're alone and have some time to ourselves…I could be your personal maid," Yang replies, a little bashfully.

This stuns Weiss a little bit. In all honesty, hearing that suggestion got Weiss seeing images of Yang in a hot maid outfit. And the thought of having THAT all to herself…Oh, she hates it when Yang does this to her, but at the same time, she can't help but want to try it out.

"Um…I guess…I mean, if you're willing," Weiss says.

"If it's for you, then I'm willing to do anything. Now then, say ah," Yang says as she pushes the strawberry closer to Weiss.

Weiss sighs, but takes the strawberry into her mouth anyway. After having her treat, Weiss kisses Yang on the cheek and snuggles a little closer in Yang's embrace.

"Thank you, Yang," Weiss mutters.

"Anytime, my Mistress," Yang chuckles.

Weiss smiles a little at this, "I thought I was the maid right now?" Weiss asks.

"Yeah, you are. I'm just practicing for when it's my turn," Yang replies.

Weiss was really glad for two things at that point. One, that no one else was around to see this, and two, that she ended up with someone as caring as Yang.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Decided to have a little fun with Weiss (I couldn't resist using this idea), as well as making some more romance between her and Yang. We'll focus more on Velvet in the next chapter. What awaits Team RVWBY in the next stage of the tournament? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	44. Chapter 44: Cut the Beat

**Here we are at Chapter 44. We now have over 200 favorites! Thank you to all who have been following my story. Today marks the 3 year anniversary of Monty Oum-sama's (I address him as -** _ **sama**_ **because I respect him so much) unfortunate passing. He was truly an inspiring individual that we will all miss, and honor with our work. Now let's get on with the next stage of the tournament. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 44. Enjoy. R.I.P. Monty Oum-sama.**

* * *

 **Chapter 44: Cut the Beat**

After all the chaos at the pavilion had been dealt with, Weiss and Yang returned to the dorm room (while making sure no one else saw Weiss in a maid outfit) and Weiss was finally able to change into her regular clothes (though Yang secretly kept the maid outfit…and smelled it too. LOL). While they were busy, Ruby and Blake had watched their friends from Team CFVY, Coco and Yatsuhashi, fight in the doubles round against Mercury and Emerald. Unfortunately, they lost the match. However, Team RWBY had to focus since they would be coming up soon, with Velvet and Weiss fighting in the doubles round this time. Currently, the team is watching as their friend, Penny Polendina, fights against two members of Team CRDL.

"I still can't believe that Team CRDL actually managed to make it to the doubles round," Velvet notes.

"You? I can't believe they even qualified for the tournament at all," Weiss adds.

"Well, with the way Penny's been fighting. They'll go down in no time," Ruby says as she cheers her friend on.

"I hear that," Yang notes.

Down in the arena, Penny, with her teammate who just stands there and does nothing, forces Sky Lark and Russell Thrush to hide behind some rocks. She then shoots her swords at the rocks, and then lifts them up with the two boys hanging on to them for dear life. Finally, Penny smashes the rocks, and her opponents, into the ground, taking out the rest of their auras and ending the match.

"And victory goes to Penny and Ciel of Atlas," Oobleck announces.

Wanting to see Penny, Ruby gets out of her seat and runs to her, with Velvet in tow.

"Penny!" Ruby calls out to her.

"Ruby, Velvet!" Penny cheers, and runs to them.

Penny moves too fast for them to react, and painfully tackles the both of them to the ground.

"Whhyyyyyyy," Ruby painfully mutters.

"I think you broke a rib," Velvet groans.

"Ruby, Velvet, this is my teammate," Penny motions to her partner as she quickly gets back up, with Ruby and Velvet slowly, painfully, following her.

"Ciel Soleil," Ciel introduces herself.

"Hi, I'm Ru-," Ruby begins.

"Ruby Rose, 15, hails from Patch, leader of Team RVWBY. Status…questionable," Ciel speaks about Ruby, quickly getting on Velvet's bad side.

"And I'm-," Velvet says.

"Velvet Crowe, 19, lacks sufficient information on history, member of Team RVWBY. Status-," Ciel begins, until Velvet has her arm blade an inch away from her throat.

"I suggest you stop talking. NOW," Velvet threatens her, making Ciel nod her head in fear before Velvet steps back.

"Sooooo, Penny, you two were incredible out there. How do you keep control of those swords? It's so cool-," Ruby says.

"Penny, I believe it is best if we move on to our next location," Ciel tells her while pointing at her wristwatch, but quickly shrinks back when Velvet growls at her.

Penny thinks for a moment, "Could we have just a minute to talk?" Penny suggests.

Ciel looks at her wristwatch for a moment before she steps back and nods her head, wanting to stay away from Velvet.

"So, is she your friend, or…" Ruby trails off.

"I don't like her," Velvet says, crossing her arms.

"Well, in a way…she's like Blake, but if Blake was ordered to spend time with you," Penny replies.

"So, more like Weiss back in the first semester," Velvet says.

"Precisely," Penny replies.

"Does she know about…you know, beep-boop-bop, does not compute," Ruby says, making robot moves with her arms.

Penny shakes her head, "Oh no, General Ironwood doesn't really want anyone to know. There was an incident with a magnet, but I was able to play it off," Penny says.

Ruby and Penny laugh while Velvet smiles.

"Ruby, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about," Penny says as they stop laughing and looks back to Ciel, who is busy watching her wristwatch. Penny looks back to them, "I want to stay at Beacon," she confesses.

"Penny, they'll never let you do that," Ruby says, worried.

"After what happened last semester, and a few months ago, they'll never let you out of their sight," Velvet adds.

"I know, but I have a plan," Penny reassures them as Ciel steps up to them.

"It's been precisely ONE minute, ma'am," Ciel reminds her, pointing at her wristwatch.

"I'll talk to you more soon, Ruby, Velvet," Penny says before she and Ciel turn to leave, but Penny turns and waves back to them with a smile, which Ruby returns.

"Our next match will begin in fifteen minutes," Port announces over the speakers.

"Oh yeah, this is our match. You and Weiss are next," Ruby says.

"Yep, I finally get to fight. I'll see you later," Velvet says as she begins to walk away.

"Velvet, wait!" Ruby says, making Velvet stop and turn to her, only to receive a peck on her lips from Ruby. "For good luck," Ruby says, blushing.

Velvte blushes a little bit, but smiles anyway, "Thanks. Now I know I'll win," Velvet says and walks into the arena to link up with Weiss.

"So, now it's our turn," Velvet notes as she checks her gauntlet.

"Just remember to keep your proper form," Weiss instructs her.

"Yeah, yeah. You're from Atlas, right? What can we expect?" Velvet asks.

"Well, seeing as their kingdom, academy, and armed forces are all merged as one, I think we can expect strict militant fighters with advanced technology and carefully rehearsed strategy," Weiss explains.

Suddenly, something races behind them, with a rainbow trailing behind the object, and spooks them as it moves around to be in front of them. They then get a good look at their opponents. The first one is named Flynt Coal, a young man with dark skin and brown eyes. He is wearing rectangular sunglasses and a dark fedora with a blue trim on his head, and an earring on his right ear. He is wearing a dark vest over an unbuttoned white and untucked dress shirt, with a loose tie wrapped around the collar, a pair of dark dress pants, silver dress shoes, and a dark glove on his left hand. He is holding a silver trumpet as his weapon. Next to him is Neon Katt, a young female feline Faunus with a light complexion, green eyes, and moderate-orange hair tied up in two ponytails with light blue streaks. On her rear waist is a long tail with pink fur, the pink becoming lighter towards the tip. She is wearing a light blue tank top on top of a dark purple bra, dark purple short shorts under a pink combat mini-skirt, and a white belt with a yellow winking smiley face on the buckle. She has two buttons fixed to her tank top above her right breast, one purple with a cat design and another green one with a heart. She also has on a white cat bell collar around her neck, a pair of bracers on her arms and pads on her shins and knees. She is wearing roller blades, and has a tattoo of a shooting star with a red, green, and yellow trail winds around her right arm. She is wielding a pair of nunchucks. She is the one that previously zoomed behind Weiss and Velvet.

"Ooor, whatever they are," Weiss ends while Yang is still jawstrucked.

"Hey," Flynt says, getting Weiss' attention. "You're Weiss Schnee right? The heiress," he says.

"I am," Weiss replies.

"I take it you're pretty good with dust then," Flynt says.

"I do my best," Weiss says humbly.

"Yeah, my dad was good too. Owned a little dust shop of his own..." Flynt says nicely before losing his nice demeanor, "Til your father's company ran him out of business," Flynt says coldly.

"Oh…I'm sorry to hear that," Weiss apologizes, feeling bad about that.

"Sure you are," Flynt sarcastically says, not buying it.

"Weiss isn't her father," Velvet says out of the blue.

"Huh?" Flynt replies, looking at Velvet.

"Simple. Don't every book by its cover. Personally, I don't like her father either, so we can agree on that much. However, Weiss seeks to make amends for HIS actions. You shouldn't focus on who she is simply by her last name," Velvet says.

Flynt grunts, "I'll believe that when I see it," he retorts.

"Hey, nice outfit you got there," Neon suddenly says to Velvet.

Velvet looks at her clothes, "Um…thanks" she says, confused.

"I bet guys are all over you when you're working late at night," Neon says.

"Wait, what?" Velvet asks, still confused.

"You know, when you're working at the strip club, servicing guys," Neon says, somewhat mocking Velvet.

Up in the stands, Ruby somehow hears this and tries to get into the arena to KILL Neon, hadn't Blake been there to hold her back.

"Why that little-No one talks to my girlfriend like that!" Ruby yells as now Yang joins in to hold her back.

Weiss looks wide-eyed and jawstruck before slowly looking over to Velvet.

Velvet deadpans and then glances at Weiss, "She's mine," she states. The arena opens up around them and a moment later, they are surrounded by four different sections: a geyser field behind Velvet and Weiss, a ruined city to their left, a lava field behind Flynt and Neon, and a desert field to Velvet and Weiss' right. "Weiss," Velvet says as she readies her arm blade, getting her teammate's attention. "Don't let him get to you, okay?" Velvet encourages her, to which Weiss nods in reply.

"3…2…1…"Port begins as Flynt and Neon take their positions, which confuse Velvet and Weiss. "…Begin!" Port announces and the battle begins.

Flynt plays his trumpet, sending out soundwaves at Velvet and Weiss. Weiss conjures up a black glyph to hold her in place while Velvet is slowly being pushed back. Neon rolls in, using the soundwaves to send her flying at Velvet. Velvet notices this and, thinking fast, jumps up to use the soundwaves to push her back towards the abandoned city section of the arena with Neon close behind her. When Neon gets close, she tries to knock Velvet off her feet, but Velvet jumps over Neon, causing her to nearly run into a broken wall that she narrowly avoids. Velvet looks back and calmly goes after her.

Meanwhile, Weiss and Flynt face off as he stops his first attack. Flynt plays his trumpet again, sending out more soundwaves, but Weiss uses one glyph to move to one side to avoid it and then creates more black glyphs as she walks towards Flynt, using them to keep her steady. However, Flynt stops his attack, causing Weiss to run forward because of her glyphs, and as she runs past him, he kicks her in the back, sending her crashing into some red dust crystals and onto the ground in the lava field section, with Flynt walking towards her as he continues to smirk at her.

Back with Velvet, Neon rolls around some debris with Velvet chasing after her, firing off a few gauntlet shots. Neon skids across a long thin pipe to dodge the bullets and then turns around some more debris to take the offensive to Velvet. However, Velvet flips over her first attack, and then proceeds to easily dodge, leap, and roll out of each of Neon's strikes. When Neon gets some distance, she actually gets a little annoyed that she couldn't land a hit on Velvet. Velvet just looks at her as if she's uninterested, and then gestures with her hand to come at her, taunting Neon. Neon bends her nun-chuks, making them glow light blue and comes at Velvet again. Velvet waits to see what it can do, and uses her left arm to block an incoming strike. When the attack hit, she finds her left arm incased in ice.

"Ice Dust, huh," Velvet notes.

"Just a little something to help you cool off since you look so angry," Neon tries taunting her again.

Velvet just grunts and activates her demon arm, breaking the ice off, and shocking Neon. Velvet takes out an ice Dust crystal and absorbs it into her claw. Not wanting to give her a chance, Neon rolls at her again. However, Velvet has ice flow around her arm and then slams her open claw onto the ground, encasing a large area in ice. Neon rolls onto the ice and starts losing her balance. When she gets close, Velvet swings her claw, sending Neon flying into the air, and then fires off a fire arte that hits her, sending her crashing into the ground. Neon staggers back to her feet to see Velvet activate her foot blades. She then takes out and absorbs a fire Dust crystal, encasing her claw in fire. Velvet then aims her claw behind her and fires off some flames, propelling her across the ice while using her foot blades to essentially skate across it.

Back with Weiss and Flynt, Weiss swings her rapier around as she makes four small glyphs around her, spinning her body around four times before shooting off four ice shards from the glyphs at Flynt. Flynt looks down and smiles, spins his body before back-flipping and sliding on the ground. He then plays his trumpet again as a fire plume explodes in front of him, and uses his soundwaves to push the plume forwards, melting the ice shards. Flynt gets back to his feet.

"Too bad all that money can't buy you skill," he taunts her, twirling his trumpet in his right hand.

Weiss starts to get angry, but then remembers what Velvet told her, and takes a deep breath to calm herself down. She then spins the revolving chamber in her rapier, landing on a silver dial. Weiss aims her rapier at Flynt and sends out a twister of wind, which he blocks with his soundwaves. As this occurs, Weiss conjures up several glyphs in a circle formation around them. Weiss then shoots around to each glyph, shooting ice shards that hit Flynt from different angles. After a few hits, Flynt stomps his right foot on the ground and prepares to play again. As Weiss moves around, suddenly one Flynt becomes four Flynts, each with a different colored tie and hat. The four Flynts play all their trumpets together, and the combined soundwaves hit and knock Weiss back.

"Woah," Jaune says, surprised at the attack.

"What's this?" Port asks.

"It appears young Flynt has just activated his semblance, and quite a remarkable one at that," Oobleck begins. "Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on Flynt Coal's 'killer quartet," Oobleck says as the four Flynts spins the hats around in style.

The four Flynts go back to one as he calmly walks towards Weiss. Back with Velvet and Neon, Velvet fires off a few shots from her gauntlet that Neon blocks with her nun-chuk, but still has issue keeping her balance on the ice. Velvet uses the force from her claw flames to spin her around and smash her claw at Neon, sending her flying into some debris. While Neon finally managed to get off the ice, she took a lot of damage and only had enough energy left to get up on her feet, only to have her head grabbed by Velvet's demon claw.

"This is for that comment earlier. And for the record, I'm not interested in men. I already have a girlfriend," Velvet says before she throws Neon into the air.

She then fires off a fireball at Neon, exploding upon contact and taking out the rest of her aura, eliminating her from the match.

"Oh, and Velvet takes down Neon in a dominant display of power," Port announces.

This causes Flynt to look up at the screen, shocked to see his partner taken out so easily. Thinking fast, he prepares to finish off Weiss, who tries to get up back on her feet. However, before he can deal the winning blow, he's suddenly blown off his feet by a blast of fire. Weiss looks up to see Velvet as the culprit, demon arm stretched out before she deactivates it.

"Weiss. I know you can beat him. Show him the real Weiss Schnee," Velvet calls out.

Fueled by her words, Weiss grabs her rapier and gets back on her feet. She sees Flynt get back up, and conjures up more glyphs around the area and then conjures up one of her time glyphs under her feet. When Flynt sees this, he activates his semblance, and the four Flynts prepare to play their trumpets. Weiss flies around, using her enhanced speed and her glyphs to race around Flynt. The four Flynts play their trumpets, sending out soundwaves all over the place. Weiss gets a little blown back by some of them, but she forces her way through to deal a few sword strikes on each Flynt, eventually taking out the three fakes until only the real Flynt is left. She stops and switches to her ice Dust, stabbing her rapier into the ground and sending out a wave of ice spikes at Flynt. Flynt plays his trumpet to blow back the ice, but Weiss uses her wind Dust to blow the ice back towards Flynt. The two continue to blow the ice towards each other, and Weiss starts to get exhausted. However, she then conjures up a glyph behind her and across the floor from her to Flynt. She then shoots herself towards him, racing through his soundwaves and the ice, taking some damage along the way, until she finally gets up close enough to thrust her rapier into Flynt's trumpet. She switches her Dust to the fire vial, and immediately blowing Flynt and herself away. The bell rings out, and everyone looks up to see both Weiss and Flynt have their aura done to zero, eliminating both of them.

"And with an exciting display of courage and tenacity, Weiss Schnee ends up eliminating herself and Flynt Coal. With Velvet Crowe as the only survivor, victory goes to Team RVWBY of Vale!" Oobleck announces.

Velvet runs over to Weiss and helps her up, "That was a crazy stunt you pulled. You're lucky you didn't get too injured," Velvet says.

Weiss groans, "Oh, I may not be doing any training, or even studying, until after I rest…for the next five days straight," she says.

Velvet smirks, "Well, I don't think that was proper form," she notes.

"Oh ha-ha," Weiss sarcastically replies.

"WHAT?!" they hear some shrieking and look over to Neon, without her color, and Flynt struggling to get back on his feet. "We lost?! We lost?! Team FNKI LOST?!" That was…That was…AMAZING!" Neon says, getting her color back and rainbow stars in her eyes as she cheers. "Oh my gosh, you guys were super crazy awesome. We should definitely party together sometime. Right Flynt?" Neon says, then looks to Flynt.

Flynt stands up, "That was a gutsy move, Schnee…I dig it," he says, losing his anger towards her.

"I told you. She's not her father," Velvet notes.

"…Yep, I guess not. Hopefully the SDC will be better when she's in charge," Flynt says.

"It will. I'll make sure of it," Weiss replies, both of them smiling.

Velvet and Weiss smile at them and then look to see Ruby, Yang, and Blake running towards them.

"Good job you two!" Blake congratulates them as she, Yang, and Ruby sit down next to Weiss.

"Yeah!" Ruby adds as she wraps her arms around Weiss.

"Nice job, you guys!" Yang cheers.

…

In Ozpin's office, Ozpin sits in his chair, looking out his window. A moment later, Qrow comes out from the elevator, holding a mug in his hands with probably an alcoholic drink in it. Qrow walks up to Ozpin's desk.

"You know he's making you look like a fool," Qrow says, talking about Ironwood.

"His heart is in the right place…He's just…misguided," Ozpin replies.

"Sometimes I'm not even sure he HAS a heart," Qrow says before drinking his mug for a moment. "So, have you chosen your guardian yet?" Qrow asks.

"Maidens choose themselves," Ozpin begins as he turns his chair around to face Qrow. "I simply believe I've found the right candidate. Ever since the day I met her, I had a feeling she would be the one. She's strong, intelligent, caring, but most importantly…She's ready," Ozpin says while Pyrrha Nikos enters an elevator to take her to his office.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Since Velvet can hold her own against Winter Schnee and Qrow, I figured she wouldn't have any trouble against Neon. Now, things will begin to get serious, plus a little something extra that never got revealed from the Volume 2 finale of my story, until now. What awaits Team RVWBY in the future? Until then, please Read and Review. R.I.P. Monty Oum-sama.**


	45. Chapter 45: A Choice

**Here we are at Chapter 45. Now things are about to get serious. I had to make a quick fix to this chapter because I accidentally wrote something that wasn't needed while my mind was off somewhere else. Thank you, fallendemon248, for pointing out that error. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 45. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 45: A Choice**

Pyrrha Nikos sits in a chair in front of Ozpin's desk, with Ozpin in his usual seat, the both of them having a conversation while Qrow Branwen leans against a column in the back of the room by the elevator with his arms crossed.

"Hm well, it comes as no surprise that they've chosen YOU to move on to the final round of the tournament. Your performance has been exemplary," Ozpin praise Pyrrha.

"Thank you Professor Ozpin, but I would never have made it this far without my teammates," Pyrrha modestly replies.

"Personally, I think it's the other way around," Qrow says, getting Pyrrha's attention.

Pyrrha stands up and turns to him, "I'm sorry, but, I don't believe we've been introduced," Pyrrha says.

"Name's Qrow," Qrow replies.

"Qrow is a trusted colleague of mine," Ozpin says.

"Professor, if you don't mind me asking, why have you called me here?" Pyrrha asks as she turns back to him.

"Please, take a seat," Ozpin politely suggests, to which Pyrrha sits back in her seat. "Before we can begin, there's one more person that I called to join us," he says.

"Who?" Pyrrha asks. Just then, the elevator doors ding and open up to reveal Velvet Crowe. "Velvet?" Pyrrha asks, confused.

"Pyrrha? What are you doing here?" Velvet asks, just as confused.

"Thank you for coming, Miss Crowe. I heard that your team voted you to move on to the final round of the tournament. Team JNPR has done the same with Miss Nikos here," Ozpin says as Velvet enters his office.

"I see," she says and glances at Qrow, who nods towards her. "So, what is this about?" Velvet asks as she sits next to Pyrrha.

"What is are your favorite fairy tales?" Ozpin asks them.

"Don't have one," Velvet answers offhandedly.

"I'm…sorry?" Pyrrha says, confused.

"Fairy tales. Stories from your childhood. Surely, you must remember some of them," Ozpin replies.

Pyrrha thinks for a moment, "…Well, there's the tale of the two brothers, the shallow sea, the girl in the tower-," Pyrrha begins.

"What about the story of the seasons?" Ozpin asks..

"Oh, of course. A callous, old man, who refuses to leave his home is visited by four traveling sisters. The first understands his reclusive nature and urges him to use his time and solitude to reflect and meditate. The second brings him fruits and flowers, tending to his crops and revitalizing his garden. The third warms the man's heart, convincing him to step outside and embrace the world around him. And the fourth and final sister, begs him to look at all he has and be thankful. In return for their kindness, the man grants the maidens with incredible powers, so that they may continue to help others all over the world. They graciously accept, and promise to share their gifts with the people of Remnant until the end of days. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. The four maidens. My mother loves that story," Pyrrha recounts the story.

"Would you believe me if I told you THAT one's been around since I was a boy?" Ozpin asks.

"Heh, you're not THAT old, Professor," Pyrrha replies.

"Well, would you believe me if I told you it was TRUE?" Ozpin asks, suddenly becoming serious.

This gets the attention of both young women.

"I beg your pardon?" Pyrrha replies, now even more confused.

"What are you talking about?" Velvet asks, getting a little on edge.

"What if I were to tell you that there WERE four maidens existing in this world that could wield such tremendous power, without dust?" Ozpin adds.

"You mean like a semblance?" Pyrrha inquires.

"Like magic," Ozpin answers.

"What-," Velvet begins.

"Yeah, first time hearing it's pretty crazy," Qrow interrupts her as they look back to him.

"You're serious?" Pyrrha asks as she turns back to Ozpin.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Ozpin calmly retorts.

"…No…Why…Why are you telling me this?" Pyrrha asks.

Ozpin glances at Qrow, who nods to him, before looking back at Pyrrha.

"We're telling you, Pyrrha Nikos, because we believe that YOU are next in line to receive the FALL maiden's powers," Ozpin replies, shocking Pyrrha. "And as for you, Velvet Crowe, we want you to join our group," he says, confusing Velvet.

"What do you mean by 'we'?" Velvet asks.

Just then, the elevator doors open up and she looks back to see Glynda Goodwitch and General Ironwood on the other side.

"Sorry we're late," Ironwood says, fixing his tie before they step into the room.

"Wait…What is this?" Pyrrha asks as she looks at Ozpin. "Who are you?"

"You know who we are. We're still the same teachers and headmasters you met when you arrived at Beacon," Goodwitch tries to calm her down.

"Except we've got a little part time job," Qrow says as he joins them.

"We are the protectors of this world," Ironwood adds.

"And we need your help. Both of you," Ozpin finishes.

…

Later, the group exit the elevator after it goes deeper than Pyrrha and Velvet thought possible, entering an underground vault beneath the school.

"A vault beneath the school, huh. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Velvet mutters.

"Please, Miss Crowe, we're not your enemies," Glynda tries to ease her worries.

"Hard for me to believe you after all that's been going on in the past few minutes," Velvet says as she narrows her eyes at the teacher.

Pyrrha walks in front of her as they follow the rest of the group.

"I'm sure you must have questions," Glynda says.

"Maybe one or two," Pyrrha nervously replies as they keep walking. "I still don't understand. You said I was next in line to receive the maiden's power. What do you mean by that?" she asks.

"The maidens have existed for thousands of years, but much like in nature, the seasons change. No two summers are alike. When a maiden dies, her power leaves her body and seeks out a new host, ensuring that the seasons are never lost, and that no individual can hold onto the power forever," Goodwitch explains.

"So what, the power is alive in a way?" Velvet asks.

"Not entirely, but I guess that's one way of looking at it," Glynda says.

"And let me guess, there's some stupid process on how the power chooses its next host," Velvet adds.

"Finally, someone who thinks the same way that I do about all of this," Qrow says.

"At first, the only thing that was certain was that the powers were specifically passed onto young women. But as time went on, it was discovered that the selection process was much more…intimate," Glynda says.

"Intimate?" Pyrrha asks, getting more nervous and worried.

"As we understand it now, when a maiden dies, the one who is in their final thoughts is the first candidate to inherit her power," Glynda explains.

"Unless it's a dude, or some old hag. Then the power goes to someone random, and our jobs get a lot harder," Qrow adds.

"Why tell me all of this now? Why not wait until I've graduated?" Pyrrha asks as they keep walking.

"Honestly, we've run out of time. I don't know if you've noticed, but things are getting a lot scarier out in the world. Tensions are high, Grimm are growing stronger, more prevalent, and it's not gonna be much longer before this peace we've all been enjoying so much goes out the window," Qrow replies.

"…You're preparing for a war," Velvet realizes.

"Not a war between nations if that's what you're thinking," Ironwood says.

Velvet grunts, "You have no idea what I'm thinking," Velvet retorts.

Qrow looks back to her, "We can fill you in on the details once we know that the two of you are with us. For now, all you need to know is that one of the maidens was attacked, and for the first time in history, part of her power was stolen," Qrow says before looking forward again.

Eventually, they come to a chamber with some electronic equipment in front of them. The equipment has two life pods set on opposite sides, with one of them currently housing an occupant. Velvet and Pyrrha see a young woman inside the second life pod.

"Is that-," Pyrrha begins.

Ozpin sighs, "The current Fall maiden…Amber," he says.

Inside the life chamber, Amber is sleeping with a noticeable scar seen across most of the left side of her face.

"She's…still alive," Pyrrha says, fear being heard in her voice.

"But for how long is the question," Velvet notes.

"Indeed. We're using state of the art Atlas technology to keep her stable. But there is a lot about this situation that is…unprecedented," Ironwood informs her.

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asks.

Ironwood sighs, "Well, we don't know what will happen if…when she passes," he says.

"Won't her power just transfer to the next host?" Pyrrha inquires.

"Look who's been listening," Qrow exclaims. "She is smart," he whispers to Ozpin.

"Under normal circumstances, yes. But this is a delegate situation. It's not uncommon for the last thoughts of the slain to be of their attacker," Ironwood begins before looking at Amber. "And to make matters worse, no one's ever seen the power split like this before. For all we know, it will seek out its other half," he says.

"Her assailant," Pyrrha says.

"And that would not bode well for any of us," Ozpin notes.

Pyrrha hangs her head, eyes closed, before she opens them and walks up to Amber's chamber, placing her left hand on the glass of the chamber.

"If all of this is true, why keep it secret? If this girl is so important. If, if we're truly on the brink of war, why NOT tell everyone?!" Pyrrha exclaims.

Glynda steps forward, "From what we understand, it used to be common knowledge," she says.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Velvet asks, her irritation slowly growing.

"How do you think legends and fairy tales get started? Even the craziest ones come from somewhere," Qrow says, taking out his flask and taking a drink from it.

"Our group was founded in order to protect both mankind and the maidens. Those hungry for power hunted them with the hope of inheriting their strength," Glynda says.

Qrow finishes drinking his flask, "And as you can imagine, the ones that succeeded weren't exactly the kind of people you'd want to have UNIMAGINABLE power," Qrow adds.

"And so this brotherhood chose to remove maidens from the public eye, allowing their existence to fade away into legend," Ironwood says.

"The things we're telling you go against hundreds of years of human history. Religion-," Glynda begins.

"No one would want to believe us. It'd cause an uproar-," Ironwood interrupts her, before Ozpin does the same.

"It would cause PANIC. And we all know what THAT would bring clawing to our kingdoms' walls. Which is why we would like to-," Ozpin starts.

"I'll do it," Pyrrha interrupts him. "…If you believe this will help humanity…Then I will become your Fall maiden," Pyrrha says, losing some of her anxiety. However, the four adults look at each other, all with worried looks before looking back at her. "That's what you wanted, isn't it?" she asks.

"Pyrrha…" Velvet mutters, worried about her friend.

"It is, but I'm afraid it's not that simple," Ozpin says as he walks closer to her. "Given Amber's condition, you won't be able to inherit her power naturally. However, General Ironwood believes he has a solution," he says, gesturing to Ironwood.

"For the past few years, Atlas has been studying aura from a more scientific standpoint. How it works, what it's made of, how it can be used. We've made…significant strides, and we believe we found a way to capture it," Ironwood explains.

"Capture it, and cram it into something else," Qrow says, showing disdain for the idea. "Or in your case," Qrow gestures to Pyrrha.

Pyrrha jumps a little bit as she realizes what they're all getting at.

"That's-," she begins.

"Classified," Ironwood says.

"WRONG," she corrects him, not liking the idea one bit.

"The feeling is mutual," Glynda says, glaring at the general. "But, desperate times call for desperate measures," she adds.

"And these are indeed desperate times. We can't transfer Amber's power to you, but we can give to you what those powers are bound to," Ironwood says.

"…Her aura," Pyrrha says.

"Her soul," Velvet adds.

"Her life, would become intertwined with yours. The question is…" Ozpin begins.

"What's that gonna do to you?" Qrow finishes.

Pyrrha looks down, unsure of what to do.

"…You have an important decision before you, Miss Nikos. There's no guarantee this transfer will work. And there's no telling if you will be the same person if it does. I'd advise you to take time to think on this matter. But understand, that before the Vytal Festival is over…We will need your answer," Ozpin says as his group looks at her.

"…And, what about Velvet? What does she have to do with all of this?" Pyrrha asks.

Velvet and Ozpin stare right at each other, "Velvet is a…special case, you see. Not to become a Maiden, but perhaps one that can help to protect them," he says.

Velvet just narrows her eyes at him.

… _Flashback to Volume 2 Finale, Chapter 34…_

"Who are you, Velvet Crowe? Or rather, WHERE are you from?" Ozpin asks Velvet as she sits in front of his desk.

Velvet narrows her eyes, "…I told you, I was raised outside of the kingdoms. Not really into living with other people," Velvet answers dismissively.

"Velvet, I have seen many things in my time, and I have never seen someone with your abilities before. Your abilities with your claw; most of them were already active before your aura was unlocked. Now, you're fighting skills, I can believe you learned them from fighting out in the real world, however those powers of yours are unlike any semblance I've seen before. There's also the issue with how you told me about how Summer Rose asked you to watch over her daughter. Summer was a student of mine, and I know that she died around a decade ago. I find it hard to believe that she would've asked you to do this when you would've only been nine years-old around the time. Your history is vague, and your story about coming here is very hard to believe…Velvet, I am not your enemy, but I am having a hard time trusting you when you are keeping secrets from me," Ozpin explains.

Velvet makes no response, but instead stands up from her chair, placing her hands on his desk, and leans in real close to stare him right in the eye.

"That's funny coming from you. I don't have to be a genius to know that something is going on around here…You expect me to trust you, especially when you yourself are keeping secrets from me. How about you answer me this, what is really going on here? It's obvious you're hiding something, so why don't you tell me what it is?" Velvet questions him.

"…If it were that easy, I would tell you. However, it is for your own protection that I can't tell you," Ozpin replies.

"Does it involve Ruby?!" Velvet interrogates him.

"…No, it does not," Ozpin replies.

"…I find that hard to believe. Accepting her two years early, allowing her team to go on a mission that wasn't meant for first-year students, giving her advice time and time again, more often than any other student. I told you before Ozpin, if anything happens to her, that I would make you pay for it. I don't know about you, but I try to keep my promises," Velvet warns him.

"Velvet…I can assure you that I bear no ill will towards Miss Rose. I just want her to be the best huntress that she can be," Ozpin tries to calm her down.

Velvet steps away from his desk, "Then what is it that you want?" she asks.

"You're help. I believe that you are a powerful warrior, one whose strength the people may need in the future. I just want you to know that we are on the same side," Ozpin says.

Velvet just grunts and turns to leave, "I'm here for my teammates, my friends, and for Ruby. That's all that matters to me," Velvet says and then leaves.

Ozpin sighs, "I think I'll have no choice but to one day tell her the truth…But if she doesn't kill me after I do, I'm sure that Professor Goodwitch just might," he mutters.

 _...Flashback ends…_

"So…this was all the secrecy you were keeping from me," Velvet says.

"Yes. Velvet Crowe, we want you to join us and help us in our cause. To help us protect the Maidens, and to find the one's responsible for attacking Amber," Ozpin says.

"Velvet, you may very well be the strongest student in the school. We need that strength," Glynda adds.

"And what about the rest of my team?" Velvet asks, crossing her arms.

"The less people that know about this, the better. I'm afraid your team can't know about this," Ironwood says.

"I don't keep secrets from them. Unlike you lot, I trust my teammates," Velvet says before she glances at Pyrrha and takes a deep breath to calm herself down. "If Pyrrha wants to help you, then I will support her decision. She's my friend, but I don't feel like joining some underground brotherhood that would keep secrets from my teammates. They trust you, and here you are, abusing that trust with your secrecy. Sorry, but I'm out," she says and then starts to leave.

"It's not that simple, kid. We're keeping secrets from them to protect them. I mean, come on, I'm Ruby and Yang's uncle. I'd rather not send them into a battle that they don't need to fight," Qrow says.

Velvet glances back at him, "My main concern is Ruby. That's all. And I will kill anyone who threatens to harm her. You're little war has nothing to do with me," she says and continues to walk away.

"One young huntress does not compare to the entire world. You should be more concerned with them, not your leader. She's not important," Ironwood says.

Everything stops as the rest of the group feel Ironwood just made a huge mistake. Suddenly, Velvet jumps at him, her demon claw active, and clamps it down on his skull as she starts to absorb his strength. The others look on in shock and are about to intervene, until Velvet let's go of him, as he coughs for air.

"She's important to ME. Insult her again, and I won't be so merciful next time," she says as she deactivates her demon claw. "You be sure to leave Ruby alone, and I'll keep your little secret. I don't care who stands in my way, I won't allow ANYONE to harm her," she says and finally makes her leave.

"Velvet…" Pyrrha mutters.

"Professor, what should we do?" Glynda asks.

"Let her go. I won't force her to do something she doesn't want to. We need to focus on more important matters. We need to be ready, before it's too late," Ozpin notes as he looks back to Amber.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Secrets are revealed, in more ways than one. I wonder if any of you guys remember that one scene I wrote at the end of the Volume 2 finale in my story. Who knows what will happen next. Will Velvet join Ozpin's group? Will Pyrrha become the next Fall Maiden? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	46. Chapter 46: Velvet vs Mercury

**Here we are at Chapter 46. Things are starting to get serious now that Velvet has been told the truth about the Maidens. I wonder how things will go down from here on in. Anyway, I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 46. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 46: Velvet vs Mercury**

To say that Velvet is angry would be an understatement. She was livid. Livid at finding out that so many secrets were being kept from her and her teammates. Angry that Ozpin would put her friend, Pyrrha, in such a difficult position, even if she had the choice to decline. However, knowing the kind of person Pyrrha is, she really didn't have a choice in the first place. But most of all, she was livid that Ozpin seems to have something planned for Ruby. She felt that Ruby's trust in Ozpin was being betrayed with his actions. However, she couldn't quite bring herself to tell Ruby about this. She didn't want to worry her.

Well, with Velvet in the state that she's in, there is only one things that could possibly calm her down. Her girlfriend. Velvet returns to her dorm room to find just Ruby inside, eating some cookies on her bunk. Just seeing the sight of her enjoying herself already does much to help calm her down.

"Oh, hey Velvet. Where did you go?" Ruby asks.

"Oh, just to Professor Ozpin's office. He wanted to congratulate me for making it to the singles matches in the tournament. Nothing much else besides that," she lies.

"Oh, that was nice of him. But, you deserved to be the one representing the team in the final round. You are the best fighter on our team, and you didn't get to compete in the first round anyway. I know you'll kick but in the rest of the tournament," Ruby says.

"Yeah…" Velvet mutters dismissively as she lies down on her bed, breathing a heavy sigh.

Ruby notices this and jumps off her bunk to walk over and sit next to Velvet, "Hey, is everything okay, Velvet?" she asks, a little concerned.

"I'm fine Ruby. Just…exhausted. And maybe a little nervous as well. I've never had the spotlight on me like this before, even back in my world when everyone was pretty much trying to kill me. I'm just not used to it," Velvet says with her eyes closed.

Ruby wonders about this for a moment, but then shows a soft smile as she slowly moves to lie down and cuddle up to Velvet, surprising her a bit as she opens her eyes to look right into Ruby's.

"Ruby?" Velvet questions her.

"Velvet, I know you're going to do great tomorrow. You're strong, experienced, and you're really smart. Don't think about all the people that are watching. Just focus on the person you'll be fighting against and no one else. And if it helps, just know that you're not alone out there. You have your friends with you. Team JNPR, Sun and Neptune, Weiss, Blake, and Yang…" Ruby says before resting her forehead against Velvet's. "…And you have me too. I'll be with you every step of the way, okay."

Velvet allows a small smile to appear on her face, "…Thanks Ruby. I'm…really glad I got to meet you and become a part of your life," she says.

Ruby smiles back, "I'm glad I got to meet you too. And I'm really glad that we're together," she replies.

The two then share a deep, loving kiss as their arms wrap around their bodies. All their affection for one another, their bond, could be felt in this embrace. Their bodies move to the point where Ruby is on top of Velvet, nearly straddling her (for the record, Velvet let her do that). They continue to kiss for a few more moments before the need for air finally takes hold and they have to separate to breathe. Deep blushes are on their faces as they breathe a little heavily.

"I feel much better now," Velvet notes.

Ruby giggles, "Happy to help. Maybe a little rest will help a little more as well," Ruby suggests.

"If it's with you, then I'll sleep like a baby," Velvet replies.

Ruby snuggles up to Velvet, resting her head under Velvet's chin as the two slowly let sleep take them over. Velvet holds Ruby close to her in her arms as they fall asleep. Whatever the future may hold for her, one thing is certain for Velvet. As long as she was with Ruby, she could take on anything that stood in her way.

…

Velvet opens her eyes and finds herself once more in a white expanse that remains in the deep corners of her mind.

"Haven't heard from you in a while. Not since a while back during my team's trip to Mountain Glenn, I think," Velvet says as she stands up and turns around to see Summer Rose standing behind her as usual.

"It is good to see you as well, Velvet Crowe. It has been some time," Summer greets her.

"You only ever show up when you have something important to say. So, what' going on this time?" Velvet asks.

"I know that Ozpin told you the truth, about the Maidens," Summer says.

"Yeah, and that he wants one of my friends to become the new Fall Maiden. Not to mention the fact that he may have something planned for Ruby, which I am dead set against," Velvet vents her frustration.

"He was the same with me and my team, actually," Summer admits.

"What, why you?" Velvet asks.

"Apparently, I had a special…gift that he needed to fight the Grimm. A gift that Ruby has inherited from me. I believe that is one of the main reasons why Ozpin enrolled Ruby two years early," Summer says.

"What gift?" Velvet questions her with narrowed eyes.

"One that will make her a target in the future, I'm sure. You may find out soon enough, though I hope not. Just be there for her should that time come," Summer says.

"Why?" Velvet asks.

"Huh?" Summer replies.

"Why should Ruby have to be a part of this? She's an innocent girl…Just like how my brother was innocent," Velvet mutters.

"Unfortunately, fate often has plans for us. Plans we cannot escape from, no matter how hard we try. But more importantly, Ruby chose this life. Just as I once did. Believe me, I would rather my daughter not have to fight for her life like this, but she chose to put others before herself. A choice I can't help but be proud of," Summer says. Velvet glances at her. "As long as she has her friends, her family, and you, she'll be alright. She's my daughter after all. She's strong, and possesses a spark that can bring hope to other people. As long as that spark never dies, she'll never stop doing what she feels is right," she says.

Velvet sighs, "And I'll be there to make sure that spark never goes out. After all I…I…" Velvet trails off.

"I know. Just be sure to tell her that when the time is right…It's time for me to go now. Just be careful from here on in, and protect Ruby for me," Summer say as everything starts to fade.

"I will. I promise," Velvet says before everything goes white.

…

Velvet slowly opens her eyes to look at the dorm room ceiling above her. She sighs and glances down to see Ruby, sleeping peacefully on her chest with a light snore. Velvet shows a soft smile as she gently kisses the top of Ruby's head before deciding to go back to sleep herself. Tomorrow is going to be a long day after all.

…

It is late the next day, and everyone is at the coliseum to watch as the final round begins. Teams RVWBY and JNPR sit in the stands as they watch their teammates take the stage. Fans cheer all across the arena as the next event gets underway.

"Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for. The one-on-one finals!" Port announces as the crowd cheers in anticipation. In the center of the arena, the team representatives of the remaining teams are lined up, with Velvet at the far left followed by another student, then Sun Wukong, then two other students, Penny, Mercury, and finally Pyrrha. "Barty, why don't you explain the rules," Port motions to Dr. Oobleck.

"Ah, it's quite simple, Peter. Instead of a bracket system, each round of the finals will be randomly determined immediately before the match takes place," Oobleck quickly explains.

"Much like any good hunt, there will be ZERO time to prepare," Port adds.

"Ah, yes, yes, now let's see who our first match will be!" Oobleck exclaims, pointing to the big screen.

Everyone in the stands and around the world watch as the roulette spins until it finally lands on the first two fighters, Mercury Black and Velvet Crowe.

"Velvet Crowe vs Mercury Black!" Port announces as the crowd cheers again.

"Kick his butt, Velvet!" Ruby cheers for her girlfriend.

However, Cinder then stands and leaves the stands before the match begins, still smiling.

"Would all other combatants please leave the stage," Port says.

The other fighters leave while Velvet turns to face Mercury. As the other contestants leave the main arena, Velvet and Mercury stand in the center of the arena. Next, the sides of the arena open up, with high railings holding lights like at a rock concert rising above them, along with the center of the arena hovering a little higher than the rest of the arena.

"Hope you don't chicken out on me this time," Velvet notes as she narrows her eyes at Mercury.

Mercury chuckles, "Heh, you wish," he taunts her.

"3…2…1…Fight!" Port announces and the battle begins.

Mercury runs at Velvet and throws a jump kick that she flips over with ease. She lands and activates her arm blade. Velvet runs at him and thrusts it at Mercury. Mercury deflects it with a swing of his left foot, but then Velvet activates her right foot blade and swings it up while doing a backflip, with Mercury just barely avoiding it. Mercury spins around and does a roundhouse kick at her, Velvet ducks under the strike and performs a few right kicks and him with her foot blade. Mercury counter with a few shots from his feet, and the two parry each shot. However, Velvet had the advantage of having a third blade, the one on her arm. In the midst of their foot flurry, Velvet twists around to balance herself on her left hand and swings her arm blade around after deflecting Mercury's kicks, landing one blow before jumping away as Mercury tries to retaliate. With some distance between them, Mercury fires off a few shots at Velvet, who slices through each round with her blades.

The two run at each other again, and Mercury does a front flip kick at Velvet's head. Velvet dodges to the left to avoid it, and then thrusts her arm blade at Mercury. Mercury deflects it with his right arm, and then throws a left punch, but Velvet moves her head out of the way before throwing a right side kick at Mercury, who blocks with his right knee. Mercury spins around to throw a right hook kick at Velvet's skull. Velvet leans back from the strike, and then fires off her gauntlet at point blank range that manages to hit Mercury, forcing him to jump back to avoid a few more shots aimed at him. Velvet fires off a few more shots, which Mercury runs around the arena to avoid as he makes his way back over to Velvet. When he gets close, Mercury jumps into the air and throws another front flip kick at Velvet. Velvet blocks with her gauntlet and pushes him away before getting back on the offensive. She swings her arm blade at him again, but Mercury ducks under the strike and does a low sweep kick at her feet. Velvet side flips over the attack, and then parries a few low kicks from Mercury with her arm blade before she jumps up and, activating her left foot blade, slams it down on him. However, Mercury twists out of the way and throws two kicks that nail Velvet, forcing her back.

Velvet jumps back and activates her demon claw. Mercury runs at her, but Velvet swings her claw upwards, knocking him up and then roundhouse kicks him hard enough to send him off the arena. However, Mercury pulls off a save by firing off his boots, using the recoil to propel himself into the air, over the arena, and back into the fight.

"You're gonna have to do better than that, sweetheart," Mercury taunts her again and then runs at her.

Velvet conjures up a fire arte and fires it at Mercury, who jumps over it and lands in front of Velvet. She swings her claw at him, but he ducks under it before he starts breaking dancing on the ground while swinging his legs at her. Velvet backflips out of the way, and then Mercury fires off a shot at her. Velvet just simply backhands the shot away with her demon claw.

"Next," Velvet says.

Mercury smirks before he balances himself on one leg and starts firing off multiple shots all around him. Because of the Dust in the rounds, the shots start flying around the arena in a circular formation. A few shots fly by Velvet, who ducks out of the way before glancing at all the rounds flying around them. She then runs at Mercury and swings her claw at him, but he ducks under the strike and counters with an upwards kick that knocks her into the air. He then jumps up after her and twists in the air before swinging his left leg down on her. Velvet uses her claw to block the strike and lands on the ground, just before the swarm of rounds that Mercury fired off fall down on her, engulfing her in smoke. Mercury lands on the ground and playfully swipes some dust off his shoulder, thinking he won.

"Oh, if I were Mercury right now, I'd turn around," he hears Oobleck announce.

Confused, Mercury turns around to see a large detached demon claw above Velvet, due to her semblance blocking the rain of bullets. Velvet takes out an ice Dust crystal and absorbs it, coating her claw in ice. She runs at him and swings her claw at him. Mercury tries to parry it with his right leg, but when they make contact, he finds his leg coated in ice. Velvet swings her claw at his left leg, coating it in ice and essentially freezing his feet to the ground. Mercury tries to break free, but is too late as Velvet swings her claw upwards, sending him up into the air. She then jumps into the air after him, and fires off a fire arte at point blank range at him, nailing him hard and sending him crashing into the ground. Velvet lands back on the ground as Mercury's aura becomes depleted, and the buzzer goes off.

"Oh, what an exciting way to kick off the finals!" Port cheers.

"And Velvet Crowe is the winner!" Oobleck announces as the crowd cheers for her victory.

Velvet deactivates her claw and looks at Mercury, "Maybe next time, you'll put up more of a fight," she notes before she starts to walk away.

Mercury growls and stands back up, "There's not going to be a next time, claw girl," he warns her.

Velvet looks back and sees Mercury go to throw a jump kick at her. However, something felt a little off to her, and so to remain cautious, she jumps out of the way, only to see the Mercury attacking her suddenly vanish when he hits the ground, and another Mercury still standing where he was originally. Velvet looks confused, while Mercury looks really shocked, and continues to walk away.

" _What the Hell was that all about?"_ Velvet wonders.

Mercury clenches his fist and is about to attack Velvet, but a quick glance at Cinder who is sitting up in the stands, shaking her head with narrowed eyes, makes him rethink his decision. Velvet walks out of the arena and is greeted by her teammates.

"Velvet! I knew you could win!" Ruby cheers as she runs to wraps her arms around her girlfriend.

"You were awesome out there. Now, we're one step closer to winning this whole tournament," Yang notes.

"Yes. I think the only one you have to worry about that's still around is Pyrrha. Other than that, you should have no problem defeating the other remaining contestants," Weiss adds.

"By the way. What happened after the match, Velvet? You looked back at Mercury, and then jumped away from him almost as if he was about to attack you even though the match was over?" Blake asks.

"Honestly…I don't know. I saw what looked like him attacking me, and so I reacted. But then he vanished and I saw him again, standing in the same spot. I don't know, maybe I was just seeing things after having a tough match. It's been a long day after all," Velvet says.

"Hm…I guess I can see that. Well, no matter. What's important is that you won. Come on, let's go celebrate!" Ruby cheers as she starts to walk ahead of the others.

"I hear that. Let's go!" Yang agrees and follows her sister, followed shortly by the rest of the team.

" _Maybe they're right. I guess I'm just getting a little tired…Still, I wonder…"_ Velvet thinks as she follows her teammates.

…

"What the Hell was that?! I thought the plan was for her to break my leg and spook the audience!" Mercury yells at Emerald as the two of them, plus Cinder, talk in their dorm room.

"How am I supposed to know?! I used my semblance on her as planned. I know she saw the illusion of you attacking her. It should've worked!" Emerald retorts.

"Well, maybe you weren't trying hard enough!" Mercury counters angrily.

"Well, maybe you need to watch that fat mouth and that big ego of yours!" Emerald retorts.

"QUIET!" Cinder orders them, making them shut up. "While this does make our plan a little more difficult, it does not change it. Don't worry, just in case something like this happened, I had a backup plan for us. We can still get what we want," Cinder says as she pulls out her scroll, showing the pictures of Pyrrha Nikos and Penny Polendina, and shows an evil smile.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. I first thought about Velvet attacking Mercury because of the illusion, but I decided against it since I doubt someone like Velvet Crowe would fall for something like that, so I decided against it. Anyway, Velvet defeated Mercury, but it seems Cinder still has something else up her sleeve. What awaits Velvet and her team in the future? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	47. Chapter 47: Destiny

**Here we are at Chapter 47. Things may start to get dark from here on in like in Volume 3, so I'm warning you in advance. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 47. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 47: Destiny**

Velvet sits on the ledge of her dorm building, looking out as the sun begins to set out in the horizon, with a few things on her mind.

" _There is no doubt that that was an illusion. Nowhere near as powerful as the one I had faced back in my world, but still enough for me to tell that it was fake. But still, that begs the question of how it happened. I doubt it was Mercury. Even if he is an idiot and I don't like him, I highly doubt he would have a semblance like that. There is also the fact that I reduced his aura to zero at the end of the match. A semblance comes from a person's aura, and without the latter, the former cannot be used. Then there is the question of why someone would cause me to see an illusion of Mercury attacking me. Were they trying to get some reaction out of me? Something is going on here, and I need to find out what it is,"_ Velvet thinks before standing up.

However, a black and red portal suddenly appears behind her, and she tenses up as a woman walks through it. The same woman she saw on the train from Mountain Glenn. Yang's mother.

"What the Hell are YOU doing here?!" Velvet demands, knowing not to trust her one damn bit.

"What, I can't congratulate my daughter's friend on her victory in the first match of the finals?" The woman playfully asks and then she takes off her mask.

Velvet gets a chance to see her face, and the resemblance is uncanny. She looks just like an older version of Yang, except with red eyes and black hair.

"Enough games, why are you here? I highly doubt it's to see your daughter. After all, you haven't once talked to her in seventeen years, her whole life! Who do you think you are to just show up like this without seeing her at all" Velvet growls.

Raven loses her playful demeanor and gets more serious, "First of all, my name is Raven and I am Yang's mother. Second of all, I saved her back on the train-," Raven begins.

"Once, and that was it. That was the only time you were anywhere near her. It means little in this case," Velvet interrupts her.

"Yang is my daughter, and she's a big girl. She can take care of herself…most of the time," Raven notes.

"Get to the point. Why are you here?" Velvet's patience is quickly wearing thin with raven.

"I told you, you interest me, which is why I came to knock some sense into you. You have no idea what's really going on around here. The true dangers that wait outside the kingdom's walls. This school will not last forever, and that fool Ozpin will soon fail in his impossible mission to protect the world," Raven explains.

Velvet narrows her eyes, "Are you talking about the Maidens?" Velvet asks.

Raven actually smirks a little at this, "Ah, so he told you too. I figured he would. Guess I'm not the only one who has taken an interest in you," Raven notes.

"I am well aware. The Fall Maiden was attacked and part of her power was stolen, and now he wants to try and transfer the other half of that power to a friend of mine. Believe me, I'm not exactly a fan of his idea right now," Velvet retorts.

"That's why I want you to come with me…" Raven begins, stunning Velvet. "This school will soon fall. Ozpin will soon fail. But, you don't have to be a part of that. If you come with me, you can be free from all of this nonsense and do the smart thing by surviving. There is no shame in that. I can protect you, and you can protect my people. Unlike everyone else here, you are strong. Your powers would be put to actual good use there, and not have to be someone's pawn here. You should do what is best for yourself," Raven offers.

Velvet glances down, her bangs covering her eyes and her body eases its tension. Just as Raven is about to think that she got through to the girl, a shot suddenly rings out. She glances back to see a bullet lodged into the wall behind her, and then looks back forward to see Velvet, eyes full of steel and her gauntlet aimed right at her, the bullet a couple inches off her skull.

"If you think I would ever abandon the people I care about, then you are DEAD wrong. I won't leave them behind like you left Yang behind. More importantly, I won't abandon Ruby. I will protect her with my life," Velvet declares.

Raven grunts, "If that's the case, what would you say if I said that you can bring your little girlfriend with you. She'll be safer with my people and I then she ever could be here," Raven offers.

"I'd say screw you. I know Ruby, and she will never turn her back on her friends, her family. Unlike you. So you can take your offer and shove it," Velvet spitefully declines.

Raven sighs, hands on her hips, "Then I guess you're just as foolish as my brother, Qrow, and everyone else here. Don't come crying to me when things don't turn out the way you hope they will," Raven says and swings her sword to create a portal behind her.

"What about Yang? She still deserves answers from you," Velvet asks before she can leave.

"If she wants answer, then she'll have to come find them herself," Raven says before entering the portal and then it closes.

Velvet lowers her gauntlet and sighs, "Things never get easy for me, do they?" she mutters.

…

Meanwhile, Pyrrha sits up against a wall outside the cafeteria, with a lot on her mind.

" _What should I do? I want to help Ozpin, but…is it worth losing who I am? Worth losing everything I strived for? Everything I care about? Oh, I just don't know what to do_ ," Pyrrha thinks as cool breeze flows by, making a leaf fall at her feet. Pyrrha looks at the leaf with a worried expression, thinking about the Fall Maiden, Amber.

"Hey," she hears and looks up to see Jaune with some cotton candy in his right hand. "It's no green goo, but I think it still might do some good," he says, offering the cotton candy to her.

Pyrrha grabs it, "Um, right. Thank you Jaune," she says, faking some joy from his gesture.

Jaune notices and becomes concerned, but then looks left when he sees Nora and Ren, with the latter carrying several snacks in his hands. Nora notices Jaune and Pyrrha before him, and quickly decides to give them some space.

"Uh, come on Ren. Let's go back to the fairgrounds. I'll need another stuffed animal," Nora says as she pulls Ren away by the arm.

Seeing them leave, Jaune sit next to Pyrrha, "You were the first person to ever believe in me, you know that? Even when I told my parents I was going to Beacon, they told me not to worry if I ended up having to move back home. How depressing is that?" he says.

"I'm sure they didn't mean-," Pyrrha then gasps, dropping her cotton candy when Jaune puts his left hand on top of Pyrrha's right hand, stunning her.

"I guess, I'm just trying to say that…You've always been there for me. Even when I was a total jerk to you and I didn't deserve your support. And I can tell there's something on your mind so…I don't know…How can I help?" he asks, trying to be helpful.

Pyrrha smiles genuinely from his kindness and lays her head on his shoulder, making Jaune bolt up a little bit, surprised.

"You're already doing it," she says, closing her eyes, as Jaune smiles back. They remain like this for a moment until another breeze blows by, and Pyrrha slowly loses her smile. "Jaune…" she begins as she opens her eyes and lifts her head.

"Hm?" he hums as he looks at her.

Pyrrha moves her hand away from his, "I don't know what to do," she confesses sadly.

"W-what do you mean?" he asks, confused.

Pyrrha looks up, "Do you believe in destiny?" she asks as she looks at him.

"Um…I-I don't know. I guess it depends on how you view it," he replies, not understanding what she's really asking.

"When I think of destiny, I don't think of a predetermined fate you can't escape. But rather, some sort of final goal. Something you work towards in your entire life," Pyrrha explains.

"Okay, uh, yeah. I can see that, sure," Jaune says.

"Well, what would you do if something came along that you never expected? Something that had the potential to stand between you and your destiny," Pyrrha asks.

"Like what?" Jaune asks.

"Or what if you could suddenly fulfill your destiny in an instant, but at the cost of who you were?" Pyrrha says, starting to lose her cool.

"Pyrrha, you're not making any sense," Jaune says as he tries to comfort her, but she stands up.

"None of it makes sense! This isn't how things were supposed to happen!" Pyrrha cries as she crosses her arms and walks a few feet away from him.

Jaune stands up, "I'm sorry. Please, I-I'm just trying to understand what's wrong," Jaune says.

"I've always felt as though I was destined to become a huntress. To protect the world…And it's become increasingly clear to me that my feelings were right. But…" Pyrrha begins, turning back to look at Jaune. "I don't know if I can do it," Pyrrha admits.

"Of course you can. The Pyrrha Nikos I know would never back down from a challenge. And if you really believe it's your destiny to save the world, you can't let anything stand in your way," Jaune tries to support her. However, this only makes her turmoil worse as tears form in her eyes. "Pyrrha?" Jaune asks, worried.

"Stop," she quietly pleads.

"Did I say something wrong?" Jaune asks as he walks up and reaches for her.

"STOP!" Pyrrha shouts, moving her right hand and accidently using her semblance of polarity on Jaune's armor, sending him smashing into the wall behind him. Pyrrha looks up and freaks out, "Jaune!" she cries, deactivating her semblance, making Jaune fall down onto the ground. Jaune gets back to his hands and knees and looks up at her. "I'm…I'm sorry," she cries.

"Pyrrha wait!" Jaune shouts, but she runs away from him. "…What did I say?" he asks himself.

As Pyrrha is running, she bumps into Velvet.

"Pyrrha, what's wrong?" Velvet asks as she runs by her. She then looks back to find Jaune on the ground. "Jaune, what happened?" she asks.

"I don't know. Pyrrha was talking about destiny and losing who she is, and I was trying to be supportive, but…I think I just made things worse," Jaune says as he sits back down, sad.

"What did you says?" Velvet asks.

"I said that if she believes that it's her destiny to save the world, then she shouldn't let anything stand in her way and go for it. After I said it though, she just started crying. What did I do wrong?!" Jaune yells.

Velvet thinks and quickly figures out what's wrong, "No, you didn't do anything wrong, Jaune. Not you anyway," Velvet says, muttering the last part to herself. "I'll go find Pyrrha. I'll see what I can do," Velvet says and before Jaune can make a reply, she is already running to catch up to Pyrrha. _"It's obvious what the problem is. Pyrrha has been thinking about Ozpin's proposal and now it's ripping it up inside her. She wants to help, but she's afraid of losing who she is and losing the people she cares about. Damn you Ozpin…"_ she thinks to herself as she runs towards the school courtyard to find Pyrrha.

Velvet looks around, but can't seem to find the red-head. However, when she notices one airship taking off from the landing platform, she gets a quick glance of Pyrrha from one of the windows.

"Damn it, looks like she's heading to the arena. I swear when I get my hands on Ozpin for this…" she mutters.

"Hey, Velvet!" she hears from the side and looks over to see Ruby walking over to her.

"Ruby, what's up?" Velvet asks.

"I've been looking for you. Weiss and Blake went off to the fairgrounds for coffee and tea, and Yang wanted to rest up with Zwei in the dorm. I wanted to go watch some more fights, but I didn't really feel like going alone, so…would you be willing to go with me?" Ruby asks, hands clasped behind her back.

" _If I go with her, I can hopefully find Pyrrha and spend a little time with Ruby as well,"_ Velvet thinks. "Sure, why not," Velvet says and offers her arm to Ruby, who happily takes it.

They walk towards the next airship set to head to the coliseum, but then they notice a flash nearby and look to see Velvet (not this craziness again), taking pictures of Sun with his gun-chucks. Curious, they walk over to see what's going on. Once they get close enough, Velvet notices them and turns around after a few more pictures.

"Velvet, Ruby, how are you two doing?" she happily greets them.

"Hey, Velvet," Ruby replies while Velvet just nods to her.

"Congratulations on your victory Velvet. I knew you could do it," Velvet says.

"Thanks. So, what are you doing?" Velvet asks.

"Oh, just working on my photography. Wanna take a look?" Velvet asks as she shows them a picture of Sun's weapon, without his face in the frame.

"Huh, looks…better," Ruby says, trying to be polite.

" _Well, she did tell me that she likes to take pictures of people with their weapons, but I didn't think it was like this,"_ Velvet thinks, keeping her thoughts to herself. "So, how's Coco? I bet it must be hard that your team didn't make it to the finals," Velvet asks.

"Yeah, she's okay. She is still a little freaked out about what happened during her match with Yatsuhashi in the doubles round," Velvet says.

"What happened?" Ruby asks.

"Most people don't know what it's like on the battlefield. I mean, even experienced fighters can get scared and start seeing things. If it can happen to Coco, it can happen to anyone," Velvet says.

"Wait, Coco? What happened to her?" Velvet asks.

"Yeah, she swore she saw Yatsu with her, in the forest during the fight with Emerald and Mercury, but HE never even made it out of the geyser fields. Stress-induced hallucinations, apparently," Velvet explains, while Velvet starts thinking.

" _Seeing things that weren't really there. Just like in my match with Mercury…And Emerald is his partner…That can't be a coincidence,"_ Velvet thinks. However, a sudden flash gets their attention and the couple looks to see Velvet with her camera up. "What was that for?" she asks.

"Oh sorry, I just thought that you two look like a really cute couple, so I couldn't resist taking a picture of you two together," Velvet says.

After dealing with Velvet, Velvet and Ruby board the next airship to the coliseum. Once they get there, they find their seats, but Velvet gets second thoughts.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go find Pyrrha," Velvet says.

"What for?" Ruby asks.

"Just to offer some words of advice. I did win my match after all," Velvet plays it off.

"Oh, okay. Well, don't take too long, okay," Ruby replies.

"Got it," Velvet says and walks off. She walks around to the inside and the back of the arena where the contestants are usually staying at as they await to be called for their match. Eventually, she finds Pyrrha all alone, and not looking any better. "Pyrrha!" she calls out.

Pyrrha turns to her, a little surprised, "Velvet, what are you doing here?" she asks.

"Trying to figure out what happened between you and Jaune earlier," Velvet asks.

"It's…fine…Everything's fine," Pyrrha lies unconvincingly.

"That's a load of crap and you know it. This is about what Ozpin told you, isn't it. About his proposal. Don't lie to me, Pyrrha. You suck at it," Velvet says.

Pyrrha sighs, "I don't know what to do. I want to help, but I don't know if it's worth losing who I am. Losing the people I care about…Velvet, what should I do?" Pyrrha pleads with her.

Velvet looks down and thinks for a moment before looking back at her, "That's something only you can answer. However, just know that no matter what happens, you can't let fear and hesitation hold you back. I've got your back, and so does Jaune. Never forget that. For now, just focus on your next fight. You can worry about all this Maiden stuff afterward, okay?" Velvet says.

"…Okay…" Pyrrha says, though she doesn't sound too convinced.

"Go on and kick some butt. Ruby and I will be cheering you on from the stands along with the rest of your team. You're not alone in this Pyrrha…I'll see you later," Velvet says and waves to Pyrrha as the latter leaves.

Velvet then starts to head back to the stands, until…

"Aw, isn't that sweet," she hears a female voice say, only for Cinder to suddenly walk up in front of her, blocking her way. "It's almost a shame it will end so soon," she says.

"Cinder…what are you talking about?" Velvet asks, already on edge.

But then, she hears the announcements come on, "Ladies and gentlemen, our next match will be…Penny Polendina from Atlas, vs…Pyrrha Nikos from Beacon," she hears.

Velvet thinks for a moment, and then her eyes widen, "No…" she mutters in realization.

"Oh, a polarity semblance against a body metal. That doesn't sound so good to me," Cinder says, all with a sick smirk on her face before she conjures up her swords in her hands.

 _"…Pyrrha, Penny…Ruby…"_ are all Velvet can think about right now.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Since the others were busy, I had to use someone to hold off Velvet. Some people may hate me for this, but it's something I got to do. I have some plans for the future of my story, including a possible CHIBI version of it. Will Velvet get passed Cinder and save her friends? Until then, please and Review.**


	48. Chapter 48: Darkness Falls

**Here we are at Chapter 48. Things will get pretty hectic for a while. Let's see how this plays out. Also, I finally got Tales of Berseria and have started playing it. This will help with the future of my story. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 48. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 48: Darkness Falls**

Velvet activates her arm blade as she prepares to fight against Cinder.

"It was YOU. You were the one that got Roman and the White Fang involved in your little scheme. You attacked the CCT tower weeks ago. You did all of this!" Velvet realizes.

"My, aren't you the clever one. I would offer you a place at my side, but something tells me that isn't going to happen," Cinder says as her eyes glow for a moment.

"Out of my way!" Velvet yells as she runs at Cinder.

Cinder spins around and swings her swords at her. Velvet counters with a swing of her arm blade, using the momentum to swing her body around while activating one of her foot blades. She swings it at Cinder a few times, who blocks each strike, before doing a backflip kick to push her back. Velvet fires off a few shots, but Cinder raises her left hand and blocks each one. She then waives her hand around as fires appears around her and then she fires it at Velvet. Velvet swings her arm blade to deflect the strike and runs at Cinder again. The two exchange sword blows, but soon enough, Velvet manages to break through both of Cinder's blades. Cinder jumps away. Cinder conjures up more flames, while Velvet activates her demon claw. When Cinder fires off her fire shot, Velvet holds out her claw and absorbs the attack when it hits. Feeling the energy come into her, Velvet's eyes widen when she notices something.

 _"That wasn't Dust, or even someone's semblance…It can't be,"_ she thinks as realization comes in. "It was you. You were the one that attacked the Fall Maiden and stole half of her power," Velvet figures it out.

Cinder click her tongue in annoyance, "So you figured it out, huh? I must admit, you're more trouble than I first thought Velvet Cr-," Cinder begins until Velvet fires off a fire arte at her face, making her roll out of the way to avoid it.

When she gets her bearings back, she sees Velvet in front of her and smacks her away with her demon claw, and then kicks her into the wall before she makes a break for it As she's running away, she fire off another fire arte behind her that manages to hit Cinder, knocking her further back.

 _"I can't waste time with her right now. I got to go stop Pyrrha and Penny before it's too late,"_ Velvet thinks as she runs to the arena.

When she gets to the stands, she still can't find Ruby anywhere and figures she must be trying to do the same thing as her. Looking into the arena, she sees Penny and Pyrrha fighting each other, with Pyrrha using her spear in conjunction with her shield to fight off Penny's swords. Velvet tries to get inside, but gets blocked off by the protective shield around the arena. Velvet looks around and sees Emerald in the stands opposite of her. Remembering that Emerald and Cinder were on the same team, Velvet makes a run for it to get to Emerald before the unthinkable happens. She runs as fast as she can and when she gets close…

"Emerald!" she yells, getting her attention. Emerald looks over, only to receive a punch in the face that knocks her out of her seat. "It was you. You were the one that made me see that illusion, wasn't it," Velvet says.

The commotion gets the audience's attention, and even Pyrrha and Penny stop their fighting to see what's going on. By this point, Ruby finally comes back out and sees what's going on.

"Velvet?" she mutters worriedly.

Emerald slowly gets up and begins to back away, until she notices Atlas soldiers and robots appear and surround Velvet, with all their guns aimed at her.

"Velvet Crowe, stand down!" one soldier commands her.

Velvet looks around, about to attack, when she notices something. Suddenly, the Atlas robots have red lights appear on their heads, and then they turn their weapons onto the civilians.

"Wait, what are you doing?! Stand down!" the soldier commands.

The civilians attempt to make a run for it, only for more Atlas robots to appear and block their path, with their guns armed and ready.

"What the Hell are you doing?! Call off your robot dogs, now!" Velvet yells.

"I'm trying. Something's interfering with the signal!" the soldier says.

The Atlas robots start firing at the people, making them all scatter in a huge panic. Velvet runs at them, using her arm blade to slice through a few of the machines in order to protect the civilians. However, more robots show up and start attacking the civilians. Ruby takes out her scythe and starts attacking them on her side along with the rest of Team JNPR. Down in the arena, Penny and Pyrrha find themselves surrounded by more Atlas robots.

"What are you doing?! Cut the feed, now!" Port yells in the announcers' area.

"We can't! Something's interfering with the signal!" someone says.

Back in the arena, the students try to fight off the machines, but there are just too many, and already a few civilians have been killed by the robots, and the whole world is watching. Suddenly, the announcements come on, but with a new voice along with the symbol of the Queen's chess piece.

"This…is not a tragedy," Cinder's voice begins as people see the same image and hear her voice all around the world. "This…was not an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians…" Cinder continues as everyone looks to the screens, while Jaune looks only back into the arena in pure shock. Meanwhile, Cinder stands on one of the dorm buildings back at Beacon, using her scroll to broadcast her speech. "But are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our academies' headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both. They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here?" Cinder continues while Ironwood angrily gets up and walks away from his seat. "One's attempt at using a robotic army to take over the Vytal Festival and the kingdom. It wouldn't have been the first time the kingdom of Atlas had tried to take over the world. Just look at its predecessor, Mantle. And, what I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? Attacking an innocent student in the stand where civilians are so close by? Huntsmen and huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither," Cinder continues while Weiss, Blake, and Yang look on, shocked and angry looks on their faces. "Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas from the tournament would help people forget his COLOSSAL failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets," she adds, while Velvet looks around the building chaos around her, feeling the negativity in the air rising. "Or perhaps, this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong, but I know that the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves," she continues as Ozpin watches his screen before looking back to the Atlas ships outside his window. As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you, the situation there is…equally undesirable," Cinder continues as Emerald leaves the stands. "Our kingdoms are at the brink of war, yet we, the citizens are left in the dark," she says as two Atlas soldiers listen to her speech, not noticing the massive herd of Grimm running towards them from behind.

The two soldiers turn around and start firing while Cinder continues her speech.

"So I ask you, when the first shots are fired, who do you think you can trust?" Cinder concludes her speech and the screens go back to normal.

"The feeds are all jammed. We can't get a message out!" Oobleck says.

"Will somebody tell me what in the world is happening?!" Port calls out.

Velvet feels something and looks out into the late evening skies, and her eyes widen.

"Oh no…" she mutters.

Suddenly, emergency sirens come on, "Alert. Incoming Grimm attack. Threat level: 9. Please seek shelter in a calm and orderly manner," a message gets broadcasted.

However, calm is the last thing on everyone's minds as the people in the arena panic and race to the airships for escape. Meanwhile, Ironwood enters Port and Oobleck's announcer's booth and grabs the mike.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please there is no need for panic-," Ironwood tries to calm them down, but then a large Nevermore appears and starts attacking the shields around the arena.

"A Nevermore!" Sun shouts as he gets up from his seat.

"How did he get pasted the kingdom's defenses?" Coco says, lowering her aviators.

Ren stands up, "It wasn't alone," he says ominously.

Down below, Velvet takes out a few more Atlas robots before she looks back to Pyrrha and Penny still in the arena. Then she notices the three Atlas battleships in the distance, and sees one of them change direction…and then shoot down the other two battleships right out from the sky.

" _Oh great. What the Hell is going on now?!"_ she thinks before she notices the Nevermore attempting to break through the shields to the arena. She then gets a call on her scroll and pulls it out, seeing the rest of the team on the other end. "Guys! Where are you?! What's going on?!" she yells.

…

"That's what we want to know! We're at the fairgrounds, and now it's being attacked by Grimm and Atlas robots. What is going on?!" Weiss yells.

"It's Cinder and her team! They're the ones behind this. Behind all of it! Grimm are attacking everywhere now. Look, try and meet us at the school. We'll get to you after we take care of things on our end!" Velvet yells back.

"Okay, just be careful. And don't let anything happen to Ruby," Yang says.

"Don't worry. I won't," Velvet replies before she hangs up.

"So, what do we do now?" Weiss asks.

Blake thinks for a moment before pulling up her scroll again, "We're going to the docks, and we're doing our job," she replies while typing away at her scroll.

A moment later, a rocket locker lands behind them, and opens up to reveal her weapon inside it. The other three look at her before nodding in agreement.

…

Back at the coliseum, the large Nevermore screeches as it continues to attack the arena's shields. Velvet finally links up with Ruby and they look on as the arena's shield get weaker.

"Pyrrha! You gotta get out of there! It's going to break through!" Jaune yells from his side of the arena.

Pyrrha and Penny look around, worried, and then to each other.

"What do we do?!" Penny asks.

Pyrrha looks up at the Nevermore, "We'll have to fight," she says.

The Nevermore finally breaks through the shields and lands in front of them, with the impact sending them flying back. The Nevermore uses this chance to charge at them, but just before it can attack, a fire ball nails it in the face making it reel back. Penny and Pyrrha look up to see Velvet land in front of them, her demon claw activated.

"Not on my watch," she says before Ruby lands next to her. Velvet hands Ruby her scroll, "Use this," she says.

Ruby nods and uses the scroll and a moment later, her locker lands behind her, opening up to reveal her scythe inside. Ruby activates her scythe and the four girls get ready to fight when the Nevermore regains its bearings and charges at them once more. The Nevermore screeches before it takes flight, encircling the arena while Velvet, Penny, Pyrrha and Ruby prepare for its attack. However, as the Grimm flies towards them, many rocket lockers suddenly collide on top of the Grimm's body, making it fall onto and slide across the ground in front of the two of them before collapsing. The lockers open up, showing off various weapons. Ruby, Velvet, Penny, and Pyrrha look on in slight awe as the members of Teams JNPR, SSSN, CFVY, ABRN, and the two members of Team FNKI retrieve their weapons, ready to join the fight. However, the Nevermore they're standing on and around begins to get back up, making them lose their balance. The young huntsmen begin moving, with Ren jumping up and stabbing the blade of his right auto-pistol into the Grimm's left eye. Arslan uses her rope dart to swing under the Grimm's neck, and grabs Yatsuhashi while Sage jumps high into the air, and Nora runs along the Grimm's back before using her hammer to smash its head back onto the ground. In the air, Arslan tosses Yatsuhashi up, and together with Sage, they use their large swords and swing at the same time, decapitating the Nevermore. The Grimm's head falls and its body quickly disintegrates. Ruby and Velvet look at the others before they turn to Pyrrha and Penny.

"Ruby, Velvet, what's going on?" Pyrrha asks.

"We've been played by Cinder and her cronies. I'll bet they've taken control of the Atlas robots somehow. And with them attacking the civilians, that caused all this negativity, and that drew the Grimm in. With the Grimm attacking, that only creates more negativity, drawing more of them in like a chain reaction. It's all going to Hell," Velvet explains.

"It's true. I found Mercury in the back of the arena, and I think he did something. Then he attacked me, but I managed to escape," Ruby says.

"Meanwhile, I had to fight off Cinder shortly after I talked with you. They've been behind everything that's been going on in Vale," Velvet adds.

"She's right," they hear and look back to see Jaune, Ren, and Nora walk up to them. "They've already hurt a lot of people. They're the ones behind this, and we have to make sure they don't hurt anyone else," he says.

They all nod their heads and look back at all the others who have their weapons ready to go. At that point, they hear some noise behind them and look up to see a flock of Gryphons land on the edge of the stands, surrounding the arena.

"Gryphons…" Ren notes.

"Anyone got a plan of attack?" Neptune asks.

"Yeah, we wipe them out and get to the school. We need to protect Beacon," Velvet says.

The Gryphons then fly into the arena, forcing the group to fire off their weapons at them, taking out some of them while the rest fly all over the area. When one attempts to attack Ruby, a random shot rings out to shoot it out of the sky. Ruby looks back to see Oobleck and Port with their weapons in hand.

"Students…It would probably be best if you all would leave," Port says.

"But we can help-," Ruby begins.

"Miss Rose!" Oobleck stops her. "…This day will surely go down in Remnant's history. I'd prefer it if my students could live to tell about it," he says, offering a small smile to her.

The group of huntsmen-in-training begin running to the landing platforms to get to the airships. Ruby points in the direction for them, like a commander of an army, and then Velvet takes a picture of her and her scythe with her camera.

"Velvet!" she hears Coco call her and runs to join them.

They all head down one path while Port and Oobleck stay behind, back-to-back, to face the Gryphons encircling the arena.

Port laughs, "One final match, Barty! Place your bets!" he says as they prepare to fight.

Meanwhile, civilians run down the pathways to the landing platforms to get to the airships and get out of the coliseum. People begin getting onboard airships ready to take them away to safety. However, as the evacuation process continues, bullhead airships fly up, open their side hatches, and release more Grimm onto the platforms. One of these Grimm is an Alpha Beowolf, staring back at Ironwood as he walks towards it. Ironwood narrows his eyes and starts to run at the Alpha Beowolf. The Grimm responds in kind by running on all fours towards the general. Ironwood screams as they get close, and then pulls out a custom magnum pistol from his jacket. He slide under the Grimm as it jumps and swipes its claws at him, firing off two shots at his stomach. The Grimm lands and turns back to him, damaged by the shots but not dead, while Ironwood swings and slides back, his right hand digging into the concrete floor. The Alpha Beowolf charges at Ironwood again while he fires off three more shots. When it gets close, the Grimm swings its right claw at him, but he ducks and spins around. The Grimm attacks with its left claw, only for Ironwood to stop it cold with his right hand. Ironwood fires at its feet, the blast knocking it off its feet, and then swings its body around and slamming it into the floor before pulling its body up with its head over his pistol, and pulls the trigger. The shot kills the Grimm, and its body falls to the ground before disintegrating.

Ironwood walks up to an airship as the teams of young huntsmen run up to him.

"What's going on?!" Ruby asks.

"Grimm are crawling all over the city. The White Fang has invaded Beacon, someone has done the impossible and taken control of MY machines, and to make matters worse, some…vagabond has seized one of my ships. Until we regain command, the skies are out of our control. So I'm…" he begins before aiming his magnum behind them and firing, taking out a Grimm Creep sneaking up behind them. "Going to take it back," he says and turns to board an airship.

"What should we do?" Jaune asks.

Ironwood turns to them, "You have two choices. Defend your kingdom and your school, or save yourselves," he says, and they all look around to each other. "No one will fault you if you leave," he says.

"…Well I for one have never been the type to just give up and run away like a coward. If it's a fight they want, it's a fight they'll get," Velvet says.

"Yeah!" Ruby agrees with her.

Ironwood nods to them, "Good luck to you all," he says before he gets on his airship and takes off into the skies.

"I mean, come on," Sun says, annoyed that Ironwood left without giving them a ship.

"We can take a ship to Beacon," Jaune says and they all start running, while Ruby and Velvet watch Ironwood's ship leave.

They see Ironwood's ship make its way towards the last battleship in the sky, however some Grimm start attacking his ship. He is able to evade them without much issue, but then suddenly a large blast from the battleship manages to hit his ship, sending it falling into the city. Velvet and Ruby watch on in shock before they nod to each other and run back into the arena. They run up to one of the locker and latch their weapons onto it before sending it flying up into the sky. Eventually they manage to get close enough to jump off and land on the battleship.

"Let's clean up this mess," Velvet says.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Yay, Penny is still alive! As for the Atlas robots and the Grimm attacks, I had to do something to get this big battle going, so let's just leave it at that. But now the battle for Beacon begins. Will Velvet and her friends save the school and the city? Who will survive this dark event? Until then please Read and Review.**


	49. Chapter 49: Heroes and Monsters

**Here we are at Chapter 49. Let the Battle for Beacon continue. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 49. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 49: Heroes and Monsters**

At Beacon, Blake, Weiss, and Yang fight through the courtyard, going through Grimm, Atlas robots, and even the White Fang who appear to be part of this attack as well. Yang punches her way through several White Fang members, finishing it off with an uppercut to one into the air, followed by a hard left punch to his chest, sending him crashing into other members like a bowling ball. To her right, Blake flips through the air as she slashes one Atlas robot in half, and then shoots the heads off of two more. Three more robots fire their rifles at her, but she uses her semblance to evade the shots as she runs at them. When she gets close, she swings her sword, slicing one in half, followed by a swing from her second blade to take out another, and then ends it off with a cross slash on the third, leaving it in pieces. Behind them, Weiss conjures up some glyphs, holding down some B eowolves. This allows her to skate across the ground, impaling one in the skull with her rapier, and then she moves to swing her sword at the next two, killing them. The three regroup and look around to see more Grimm coming towards them.

"Let's go!" Yang yells and they go for another fight.

However, they then hear something above them, and look up to see an airship falling towards the courtyard. It crashes not too far from them, and from the wreckage, an Alpha Beowolf, and an Ursa Major rise from the smoke. The two older Grimm roar and then race in different directions towards the school. The three girls look at each other before coming to a decision.

"Be safe," Weiss says to both of them.

"You too," Blake says before she runs off to chase the Alpha Beowolf.

Yang gives Weiss a quick kiss on the cheek, "I'll be back as soon as I can," Yang says and then heads off after the Ursa Major.

"You'd better," Weiss mutters before taking her stand against the multiple enemies.

"Weiss!" she hears and looks back to see Jaune, and all the other students from the arena running towards her. Jaune stops next to her. "Need a hand?" he asks.

"It's about time!" Weiss replies and then they all go to fight.

…

Back with Ruby and Velvet, they make their way across the battleship, but then they hear a loud, monstrous roar behind them and look back to see a giant Grimm Dragon fly through the skies right by them, followed by numerous Griffons.

"Oh, like it wasn't hard enough already," Velvet sarcastically replies.

"Come on, we need to get to the bridge," Ruby says, but then their path is blocked by a Griffon that lands in front of them.

The Griffon charges at them, but Velvet and Ruby run towards it, and slide under it while slashing at its legs. This trips up the Griffon, making it lose its balance, and allowing the two a chance for another attack. They run at its rear, with Ruby attacking high by slashing at its back, while Velvet goes low with attacking its right side. Once they get in front of it, they both fire off a shot at its skull, staggering it. They then finish it off by doing a cross slash together with their blades, severing its head. The Grimm's body falls off the battleship, only to reveal Neo standing behind it. She is wearing an Atlas uniform, but it quickly turns back into her real outfit. She takes a picture of them and sends it to Roman, and then winks at them as she gets ready to fight.

"Get out of our way, or else I'll eat you!" Velvet yells as she readies her blade.

…

Back at the courtyard, Jaune is seen running towards and swinging his sword at an Ursa, taking it out. Neo is then seen racing around him with a Boarbatusk on her tail, racing by Coco who's firing off her gatling gun at a Gryphon. Behind her is Arslan, and then an Ursa Major running at Nora, who fires her grenade launcher at it, knocking it back. Behind Nora, Ren runs as he fires his auto-pistols at a Beowolf, killing it. As they fight, Pyrrha suddenly notices Ozpin standing outside the tower, looking straight at her. Knowing what's going on, she starts walking towards him, which Jaune notices.

"Where's she going?!" Nora asks.

"I'll go find out. You two stay here and keep fighting," Jaune says as he goes to follow Pyrrha.

…

Meanwhile, back on Ironwood's ship, Ruby swings and spins her sniper-scythe around as she battles Neo. Neo backflips away as Ruby throws her spinning scythe at her, before it spins back to her and she catches it. She slams the blade into the ship as she fires off a shot at Neo. Neo shatters like glass from the round, thanks to her semblance, showing Roman behind her who fires his cane at Ruby. However, Velvet lands in front of Ruby and uses her arm blade to slash through the shot.

"Man, you two are just determined to be the heroes of Vale, aren't ya?" Roman taunts them.

"What are you doing?! Without these ships, the Grimm will overrun the city!" Ruby yells.

"That's the plan!" Roman replies.

Neo reappears and runs at the duo. She flips in the air to kick Velvet, but Velvet counters with one of her foot blades, forcing her back. Velvet runs at her, throwing several slashing kicks with her foot blades, forcing Neo to jump and get on the defensive. She might have been a better fighter than Ruby, but she has far more difficulty going up against the former Lord of Calamity. Velvet aims her gauntlet and fires off a shot at Neo. When it hits, Neo shatters like glass again. Velvet then suddenly activates her demon claw and swings it behind her to grab a surprise kick from Neo, swinging her around and smashing her into the ground before she throws her back a few yards.

"Hate to break it to you, but I've fought against someone who's illusions are far greater than yours could ever be," Velvet notes.

Back at the school courtyard, Velvet tries to get back up, only for Coco to crash into her on the ground while Neon and Reese race by them. They move around Bolin, Arslan, and Nadir as they surround and fight off a large Gryphon, with Bolin attacking an AK-200 with his staff. Reese zooms by and uses her hoverboard to slice another AK-200 in half before she and Neon continue moving. Meanwhile, Sun is fighting off an Atlesian Paladin, blocking its lasers with his staff. Next, Ren and Nora shoot their weapons at a group of AK-200s. Yatsuhashi is seen striking a Gryphon with his large sword, and then Fox runs behind him while Flynt plays his trumpet, sending soundwaves at a Creep. Reese and Neon then race under the legs of another Atlesian Paladin, its legs becoming encased in ice as Weiss comes from behind it, using her glyphs to jump at it. However, the Atlesian Paladin uses one of its arms to knock her away.

"Weiss!" Neptune yells as he reaches out to her.

The Atlesian Paladin throws a right punch at Yatsuhashi, who blocks with his sword and holds his ground, but the large machine overpowers him and sends him flying backwards. Meanwhile, Ren is trying to catch his breath as another Atlesian Paladin turns around and walks up to him.

"Look out!" Nora shouts, seeing this, and pushes Ren out of the way only to get punched by the mech herself.

"Nora, no!" Ren yells and turns to her, only to get knocked back by the Atlesian Paladin as well.

The Atlesian Paladin turns to Coco, Velvet, and Neptune, and Coco and Neptune start firing their weapons at it. However, the attacks don't seem to be doing much damage.

"Uh, this is bad," Neptune notes as they continue firing.

Coco stops firing, "Well, I guess now's a better time than any. Velvet!" she says, turning to her teammate.

"…Really?" Velvet asks with anticipation.

"Just make 'em count," Coco replies.

Velvet nods to her and walks in front of them, up to the two Atlesian Paladins standing in front of them.

Weiss gets back up, "What are you doing?! She's going to get hurt!" Weiss shouts.

"Just watch," Coco replies, remaining calm.

Velvet stands in front of the mechs, lifting up her right hand. Just then, a light blue holographic copy of Crescent Rose, Ruby's sniper-scythe, appears in her right hand. One Paladin fires its right laser rifle at her, but she jumps up, seen in the air in slow motion. In normal motion, she swings her holographic sniper-scythe at the mech before landing on the ground. Next, the sniper-scythe disappears, and in Velvet's left hand, a holographic copy of Weiss' rapier, Myrtenaster, appears. The Atlesian Paladin swings its right arm at her, but she swings her holographic rapier upwards, using the dust in the rapier to push back the attack and then backflips away before taking the same combat stance as Weiss with her rapier near her head and aimed at her opponent. Velvet shoots forth, thrusting three strikes at the mech and then suddenly punches it away with holographic copies of Yang's shotgun gauntlets, Ember Celica. The attack makes the mech stumble back while Velvet lands on the ground and then fires off two shots at it. The Atlesian Paladin then swings its right arm at her again, but she ducks under it while changing her holographic shotgun gauntlets into a holographic version of Blake's sword, Gamble Shroud. As the mech swings its arm back around, Velvet jumps and stabs her right sword into its hand for the ride. The mech stops spinning, but Velvet jumps off, using the ribbon on her holographic sword to wrap around the mech's legs. She lands away from it and pulls on the ribbon, making the Atlesian Paladin fall down.

Velvet looks back as the second Atlesian Paladin attempts to punch her from behind, but she swings her left blade at it, slicing off its left fist. She then throws her blade at the mech's cockpit, before suddenly firing at it with a holographic copy of Coco's gatling gun. The mech tries to punch her with its right arm, but she makes a holographic copy of Sun's staff, and blocks the attack, before running along the mech's arm and jumping into the air, and then smashing a holographic copy of Nora's hammer onto its right arm, breaking it off the body. She lands back on the second Atlesian Paladin as the first one begins to get back up. She makes her hammer disappear, and replaces it with a holographic version of Penny's backpack that contains her flying swords. She conjures up ten holographic swords before back-flipping off the mech and landing on the ground. She swings the swords around, cutting off the mech's legs, making it fall to the ground. Velvet then positions the swords, in their gun forms, in a spinning circle in front of her and charges up before firing off a massive blast that finishes off the second Atlesian Paladin. However, as she stands from the attack, the first Atlesian Paladin sucker punches her from her right side, knocking her to the ground.

"Velvet!" Coco shouts before firing her gatling gun at the mech.

Neptune, Nadir, and Reese join her and start firing off their weapons at it. Weiss just looks on for a moment before growling to herself and starts running around them, using her glyphs to increase her speed. Suddenly, in slow motion, as she's running, a new glyph with swords on it, her summoning glyph, appears behind her. In normal motion, the Atlesian Paladin prepares to punch Velvet again as Weiss stops in front of her. Weiss attempts to block the punch with her rapier and raises it above her while closing her eyes. However, the attack doesn't hit and she slowly looks up to see a giant sword, being held by the arm of a suit of armor ("White" Trailer), holding back the attack. Weiss has subconsciously made her first successful summoning. The summoned arm deflects the punch away and then swings its sword downwards, cleaving the Atlesian Paladin completely in half. Weiss looks back at the summoned arm before a flash appears in front of her and she looks to see Velvet taking a picture of her with her camera. However, the ground under them starts to rumble. The rest of the group look to the front of the courtyard to see another Atlesian Paladin appear, only this one is more heavily armored and more powerful.

"…You have GOT to be kidding me!" Sun complains as everyone else looks in worry.

The mech begins to run at them, and they prepare to fight.

Back on the battleship, Neo gets back on her feet after getting tossed around by Velvet and grits her teeth before she looks over to Roman. Ruby runs at Roman, who fires off a few shots at her. Using her semblance, she zips past the shots and gets right in front of him, with her scythe reeled back. When she swings it, Roman blocks it with his cane, but is forced back a bit.

"Why are you doing this?! What do you get out of it?!" Ruby asks.

"You're asking the wrong questions, Red. It's not about what I have to gain. It's that I can't afford to lose," he says before he fires off a shot and then quickly swings his cane around to grab the shot and release a shockwave at Ruby. Ruby gets blown back from the shockwave, and falls off the edge, only to stab her scythe into the edge to stop her descent. "I may be a gambling man, but even I know there's some bets you just don't take," he says as he walks up to the edge. "Like it or not, the people that hired me are going to change the world," Roman continues while Ruby kicks a Nevermore away that tries to attack her. "You can't stop 'em. I can't stop 'em. You know the old saying, if you can't beat 'em-," he says, only to get kicked away from behind by Velvet.

Velvet then grabs Ruby and pulls her back onto the ship. Roman looks up to see her, and then looks over to see Neo stagger to her feet.

"You need new lapdogs," Velvet notes. Neo runs at them and thrusts her umbrella at Velvet. In slow motion, Velvet narrowly avoids the attack and activated her demon and grabs Neo's head. She starts absorbing her strength until she's too weak to fight back. "Time to take out the trash," Velvet says before she lifts Neo up and then throws her into the air, falling into a horde of Griffons. "That's one down," she notes as she deactivates her demon claw and she and Ruby turn towards Roman.

Roman gets back on his feet and sees that Neo is gone, gritting his teeth in anger.

"I don't care what you say. We will stop them, and we will stop you…BET ON THAT!" Ruby yells before she and Velvet charge at Roman.

However, Roman aims his cane and fires off a shot in slow motion, then quickly moving his cane around for the hook to grab the shot, and in normal motion, swing the blast in a wide arc. The blast knocks Ruby back, but Velvet quickly grabs her and swings her back around to throw her back at Roman. Ruby swings he scythe at him, but her blocks the attack as she flies past him. However, he isn't fast enough to block a strike from Velvet from behind, and she swings her arm blade at his back. Ruby and Velvet then perform a set of criss-cross attacks that put him on the defensive. But without Neo to back him up, he takes a few more hits until he is knocked back away from the duo. Ruby and Velvet stand together while Roman staggers to his feet.

"You two got a lot of spirit, I'll give you that," he says as he stands back up. "But you forget, this is reality. Reality doesn't care about spirit. The real world is cold. And huntresses like you, the only thing you can do is die like every other huntsmen in history. As for someone like me, we live on. So…I'm going to do what I do best, lie, steal, cheat…" he says as he aims his cane at them. "…And survive-," he says before suddenly a large Griffon appears and swallows him whole from his negative speech.

The Griffon finishes its meal and roars and Ruby and Velvet. The two get ready and run at the Grimm, which responds in kind. However, when it gets close, the two girls jump over hit while simultaneously kicking it in its head. The Griffon crashes into the cockpit of the ship, which erupts in an explosion from the collision. When they land, the ship suddenly shakes and begins to fall from the sky. Seeing that their ride is about to end, Ruby and Velvet run to the edge of the ship.

"Hang on!" Velvet says and wraps her right arm around Ruby's waist.

She then activates her demon claw and takes out a wind Dust crystal and absorbs it. With control over the air, Velvet and Ruby jump off the ship, and fall towards the ground. As they get closer, Velvet uses her demon claw to conjure up a torrent of air to slow their descent until they safely land on the ground. Velvet deactivates her demon claw and she and Ruby make their way to the school as the battleship crashes into the ground at the edge of the city.

Back at the school, the heavily armored Atlesian Paladin starts running towards the students. However, the mech then shuts down and falls, sliding across the ground before stopping in front of them.

"Hm, that went better than expected," Sun notes as he looks at Weiss, who is still hunched over in exhaustion.

"Weiss!" They all look to see Yang running up to them, having already taken care of the Ursa Major. "You're okay! Have you heard from Ruby, or Velvet?" she asks, but Weiss shakes her head. "What about Blake?" she asks again.

Weiss points behind her, "I think she's still going after the Alpha…and some members of the White Fang," she answers.

"You look for Ruby and Velvet. I'll meet up with Blake," Yang says and leaves while Weiss gives her a weak thumbs up. _"Please be okay, guys,"_ Yang thinks with worry.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. I may end up skipping a few scenes, but then again the main focus is on Ruby and Velvet. Anyway, the fight for Beacon continues, but things aren't looking good. Will our heroes survive? Until then, please Read and Review.**

 **P.S. I just finished the story of Tales of Berseria last night, and I must say, while the ending for Velvet may have been a little sad in my opinion, I thought that overall, it was BEAUTIFUL. I already played Tales of Zestiria, so I know the rest of the story. The story just fueled my desire to continue this story, because I honestly think that despite everything she did in the game, Velvet did deserve a second chance at life, so I gave it to her. I think Tales of Berseria may be my favorite one yet, and Velvet is one of my favorite characters in the series. This also helps with some future ideas for my story. Just wanted to tell you all that. Take care until the next chapter.**


	50. Chapter 50: End of the Beginning

**Here we are at Chapter 50. It's the Volume 3 finale for this story, and things are going to get hectic a little bit. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 50. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 50: End of the Beginning**

Near the landing platforms at Beacon, people are rushing to get the wounded onto the airships and evacuated to the city.

"That's it! Everybody on board! This is a mandatory evacuation!" Port instructs them.

"A safe zone has been established in Vale! Please, remain calm and listen to Atlas personnel," Oobleck adds as people start to board the ships.

Meanwhile, Weiss looks at the scene in front of her in horror, a hand over her mouth. Zwei then barks, looking behind her, and she and Sun look back to see Ruby and Velvet running up to them.

"Ruby! Velvet!" Weiss says as she holds her hands with Ruby's, happy to see her leader okay.

"Oh, I found you," Ruby replies.

"It's good to see you're alright," Velvet adds.

"Ruby, where have you-," Weiss begins.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. What's going on?" Ruby asks. Weiss just looks down in sadness.

"Weiss, what is it?" Velvet asks.

Weiss steps out of the way and Ruby and Velvet are horrified by what they see in fromt of them. They see Ren and Nora kneeled on the ground, in pain, but alive. Then there's Blake, with bandages wrapped around her lower torso, but luckily alive. But what horrifies them the most is seeing Yang, unconscious and missing her right arm, with only a bloodied, bandaged stump left in its place. Blake reaches with her left hand to hold Yang's as she cries.

"I'm sorry…" Blake cries as Ruby reaches for them, a sad look on her face. "I'm so sorry," Blake cries again.

"Yang…" Ruby mutters.

"Damn it," Velvet mutters through her teeth.

"Hey…" Sun walks up to them. "They're gonna be okay. The soldiers have a ship ready to take you guys to Vale," Sun says.

"But Jaune and Pyrrha are still missing," Nora says as she tries to get up, but fails as she groans and holds her sides in pain.

"What?!" Ruby shouts.

"Look guys, that giant Grimm keeps circling the school. Even the White Fang are pulling out!" Sun notes as he points to the school tower behind them. "We all have to go. NOW!" he yells.

"We're not…leaving," Ren starts as he tries to get up, but fails due to his pain.

Everyone looks around, not wanting to leave their friends behind. Ruby thinks for a moment before coming to a decision.

"I'll find them…I'll find them and I'll bring them back," Ruby says.

"No…" Weiss begins as she walks up to her. "WE will find them. Watch after Blake and Yang," Weiss says as she looks to the others.

"Don't even think about leaving me out of this," Velvet adds.

"We'll be back," Weiss says and the three run back to the school.

Sun groans, "You'd better be!...Idiots," Sun mutters the last part as he shakes his head.

The three girls start running towards Beacon Tower, ripping through a few Grimm along the way, with Velvet slicing through two Beowolves with her blade, Ruby with her scythe, and Weiss skewering the rest with her rapier. As they get closer to the tower, Weiss gets a call on her scroll and pulls it out.

"It's Jaune!" she begins as she answers the call. "Where are you?!" she asks.

Jaune's locker had apparently crash landed somewhere in Vale before Jaune called her on his scroll.

"Weiss! Please, you have to stop her!" he pleads.

"What? She asks.

"PYRRHA! She's going after that woman, at the top of the tower. She doesn't stand a chance!" he yells as the three look up to the tower.

"Jaune, what are you talking about?!" Weiss asks.

"He must be talking about Cinder. Jaune, where are you?!" Velvet asks.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME!" he yells. "…Please, you have to save Pyrrha," he pleads.

"We will. Are you okay?" Weiss asks.

But Jaune just screams, throwing his scroll to the ground and falling on his hands and knees.

"Please," he cries.

"Jaune? Jaune!" Weiss yells, but stops as the ground rumbles around them.

They look up to see the Grimm Dragon circle around the tower, sending out more black drops of goo that hit the ground and spawn more Grimm, while it lands on one side of the tower and roars. Ruby then takes out her sniper scythe.

"I have a plan," she says.

Weiss puts her scroll away and takes out her rapier, "You always do," she says.

Velvet readies her arm blade again, "We need to hurry and help Pyrrha,"Velvet says. _"Before it's too late."_

Ruby fires her scythe behind her and uses the recoil to shoot her towards a group of Grimm, and then fires again to spin her body and scythe around, using the blade to slice through several Grimm. Behind her, Weiss impales one Grimm in the head and then flips back to avoid the attack of an Ursa. She readies her glyphs and dances around the Grimm while nailing several well-placed strikes that kill it. Finally, Velvet uses her foot blades to decapitate one Beowolf and then her arm blade to slice another in two. She then fires off her gauntlet at three more, taking them all out in seconds. They continue to fight through the Grimm, finally making it to the base of the tower after a few minutes of fighting.

Velvet looks up, "Weiss, you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asks.

Weiss looks at it and nods, sending a glyph to its side, creating a row of glyphs going all the way to the top.

"You two can do this," Weiss says.

Ruby and Velvet run and jump up to the side of the tower, using the glyphs to run along the side to get to the top.

" _Please don't be too late,"_ Velvet thinks.

The two run as fast as they can to get to the top, and after a few seconds finally make it to the top. They land on the top and look…only to see Cinder Fall fire an arrow into Pyrrha's chest. Their eyes widen in horror as Pyrrha takes her last breathes before Cinder uses some power to incinerate her to ashes, and she is gone completely, leaving only her headdress behind. Ruby is horrified, but Velvet is furious.

"CINDER!" Velvet yells as she activates her demon arm and attacks her.

"WHAT!" Cinder shouts, surprised, but then Velvet's demon arm clamps down on her skull and starts absorbing her power.

However, Ruby just hunches over and then…

"PYRRHA!" she screams as a white power bursts forth from her eyes.

Velvet has only enough time to glances at Ruby before everything goes white.

…

After an unknown amount of time passes, Ruby finally wakes back up, only to find herself in her pajamas, and back in her bed in her home, Patch. She sits up and looks over to see a man with short blonde hair, and wearing a shirt, an opened vest, and shorts, sitting in a hair asleep. Her father, Taiyang Xiao Long. She groans as she fully wakes up, and that's enough to stir Taiyang awake.

"Ruby!" Taiyang happily says as he moves and kneels next to her bed. "You're awake!" he says.

Ruby groans a little more, "What happened?" she asks, exhausted.

"Your Uncle Qrow found you, unconscious. He got you out of there, though. He brought you home safe," Taiyang explains.

Ruby looks down and then remembers something, "Wait, Yang! Is she alright?!" Ruby asks, concerned for her sister.

"Uh…" Taiyang looks down, hesitating. "She's uh…She's gonna be alright. I think she's just…I think it's just going to take some time…for her to get used to things," he says, making Ruby look down. "She's too strong to let this stop her," he says, trying to comfort Ruby as he wipes his eyes. "I'm just glad to have my girls back at home," he says.

"What happened to the school?! And Vale?! Were they able to clear out the Grimm?" Ruby asks.

"Things at Vale are under control, but the school…it's…It's not that simple. That thing, whatever it is, doesn't seem to be dead. Don't get me wrong, you did a number on it, but it's not disappearing. It's…kind of…frozen. I know that doesn't sound too bad, but it keeps attracting more Grimm to the school," Taiyang explains.

"…I did what?" Ruby asks, confused.

"Hm?" Taiyang hums.

"You said I did a number on it. What do you mean?" she asks.

"…I…Look, that's not important right now. We can talk about it later. Things are just…kind of a mess," Taiyang replies.

"It's always a mess," they hear and look behind Taiyang to see Qrow, taking a big swig of his flask. "Mind if we have a minute?" Qrow asks Taiyang after he finishes his drink.

"What, I can't stay here?" Taiyang responds, a little peeved at the notion.

"Tai…Please," Qrow pleads with him.

Taiyang begrudgingly allow it and gets up, giving Ruby a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm glad you're alright. I'll go make us some tea," he says and leaves while giving Qrow a slightly angry look.

Qrow pulls up a chair and sits next to Ruby's bed, "So, how you feeling?" he asks.

"Um, uh…I kind of hurt all over," she answers.

Qrow chuckles, "That makes sense, after what you did," Qrow says, crossing his arms.

"You guys keep saying that. That I did something. What are you talking about?" she asks, getting a little aggravated.

Qrow leans forward, "What's the last thing you remember?" he asks.

"I remember running up the side of the tower, and when I got to the top, I-," Ruby says, but then gasps again. "Pyrrha! Is she…" she asks.

Qrow looks down, "She's gone…" he woefully answers.

Ruby starts to cry, "We-we…We got to the top, and I saw Pyrrha…and Cinder…And then everything went white," she says, clenching her fingers around her bed sheets as her tears fall on them.

"Anything else?" Qrow inquires.

Ruby wipes her eyes, "I remember…my head hurting," she says.

Qrow looks down before looking back at her, "The night you met Ozpin, what was the first thing he said to you?" Qrow asks.

"U-uh I don't know. I think it was something about-," Ruby begins.

"Silver eyes," Qrow interrupts her as she looks at him. "That's an extremely rare trait," he notes.

"So?" Ruby shrugs her shoulders.

"…You're special, Ruby. And not in the 'Daddy loves his special angel' kind of way. You're special the same way your mom was," Qrow says, but that leaves Ruby confused. "Remnant's full of legends and stories. Some of them true, some made up. But there's one Oz told me from a very long time ago. Back before huntsmen, before kingdoms, it was said that those born with silver eyes were destined to lead the life of a warrior. You see, the creatures of Grimm, the most fearsome monsters mankind had ever encountered, were AFRAID of those silver-eyed warriors. They were the best of the best. It was said that even a single LOOK from one of these fighters could strike a Grimm down. Heh, it's a ridiculous story," Qrow explains.

"But, you think that I might be…" Ruby begins to ask.

"Heh, well, a giant monster's currently frozen on top of Beacon tower, and you're here, safe in bed," Qrow says as he stands up, walking to a window of Ruby's room.

"Wait…Wait, how did you know what Ozpin said to me? The night we met?" she asks.

Qrow hangs his head a little bit, "…All those missions I go on. All the times I'm away in some far off place. It's been for Ozpin, but he's missing now…Something's been set in motion, and with Oz gone, I'll have to pick up where he left off," he confesses.

"Then what can I do?" Ruby asks, making Qrow look to her. "If I'm so special, then I can help. Right?" she asks.

Qrow turns to her and sighs, "You really want to help? Get some rest. You're in no condition to go anywhere right now," he says and begins to leave the room, but stops and looks back to her. "Besides, our enemies' trail leads all the way to Haven. That be quite a trip for a pipsqueak like you," he says, winking at her. "Catch you later, kiddo," he says and goes to leave.

"Wait, Uncle Qrow," Ruby says and he turns to her. "Where…Where is Velvet?" she asks about her girlfriend.

Qrow knew this would come up and sighs, "As far as I know, she's still alive…I think," he says.

Ruby gets scared, "What do you mean?" she asks.

Qrow looks straight at her, "…Velvet is missing, Ruby…"

…

After being told so much, Ruby decides to check in on Yang and finds her in another bedroom, seeing Yang looking out the window, depressed, and her missing right arm now all bandaged up, leaving only a stump behind.

"Yang?" Ruby says, hoping she'll respond.

Yang doesn't respond at first, but eventually replies.

"Ruby," she dully says, making Ruby stop and look back at her, while Yang looks at her with tears forming in her eyes.

Ruby runs to her and wraps her arms around Yang's shoulders, "I'm so glad you're okay," Ruby cries.

Yang sheds a tear and opens her eyes, "But I'm not," she bitterly replies.

Ruby releases the hug, holding her right arm as she looks at the bandaged stump that was once Yang's right arm.

"It's all gone. The school…Velvet…Pyrrha…and," Yang says as she sadly looks away.

"Yang, where are Weiss and Blake?" Ruby asks.

Yang looks at Ruby, "Weiss' father…came for her," she says.

"What? What do you mean?" Ruby asks.

"No one outside of Vale knows what happened here. Before the tower fell, the last thing people saw was Atlas attacking innocent people and Grimm destroying the city. Everyone's scared. No one knows who to trust. So, Weiss' father came to take her back to Atlas, where he thinks it's safe. I thought…I thought she liked me. I know that we weren't together that long, but still. I cared about her so much, and she just…left…She's gone," Yang explains, crying a little bit.

"What about-," Ruby begins.

"And Blake RAN!" Yang coldly yells. "Sun saw her go. After we got to the city, she just…RAN."

"But why?" Ruby asks.

"I don't know…And I don't care," Yang bitterly replies.

"…There has to be a reason she-," Ruby starts.

"No there DOESN'T!" Yang stops her. "Sometimes bad things just happen Ruby," Yang cries, making Ruby hang her head.

"So what do we do now?" Ruby asks.

"…You can do whatever you want. I'm gonna lie here," Yang bitterly replies as she looks at her injury.

"Yang-," Ruby reaches for her.

"Just leave me alone," Yang coldly says, not bothering to look at Ruby.

Ruby begins to walk out, but looks back to Yang, "I love you," she sadly says, but Yang doesn't reply, so she leaves.

…

Snow covers the land as winter moves in. Ruby is seen sneaking out of her house, silently closing the door, with a backpack on her back under her cloak along with her weapon. Ruby turns and begins walking away.

"Hey…" she hears and looks to see Jaune ahead of her, a backpack on his back as well as his sheathed sword on his hip.

"Hey Jaune," Ruby greets him and walks up to him. "Haven's a long way to go," she says.

"I know…But it's the only way we have," he says.

"And you're sure you want to come along?" she asks.

"The journey will be perilous," they look to see Ren and Nora next to Jaune, carrying backpacks with him while Nora rests her hammer on her left shoulder. "And whether we'll find answers at the end is ENTIRELY uncertain," Ren says.

"But we wouldn't be here if we weren't up for it," Nora adds.

Ruby nods to them, "Then let's get started," she says and they leave.

"And Ruby, what about Velvet?" Jaune asks.

Ruby looks sad at hearing her name, "…Uncle Qrow said she was missing, not dead, and I believe him. I don't know where Velvet is, but I know who she is. We might be able to find her during our journey to Haven. Or she might try and find me there. I believe I'll see her again…I have to…" she says, muttering the last part to herself.

…

Meanwhile, in a white void, the unconscious body of Velvet lays suspended in mid-air, with some white energy holding her up like she's floating in water. A moment later, Summer Rose walks forward to stand next to her.

"I never thought this would happen. I'm sorry for bringing you into this, Velvet," Summer says.

"…Is she okay?" a second voice asks.

"She's alive, thank goodness. The reaction of her power, the Maiden's power, and Ruby's power all being activated at the same time seemed to have put her into this sleep of sorts. She's never dealt with powers like those before. I can wake her up, though it will take a little bit of time…but she will also need to remain her for some time afterwards…so I can help her learn how to use the new power that she gained, even if it's only a spark of it," Summer explains. Summer turns around and looks up to see a bright, silver dragon standing behind her. "I'm sorry you have to see her like this…Maotelus. I know how much she means to you," she says to the dragon.

Maotelus steps closer, lowering his head to be next to Velvet to lightly nudge her cheek, "Velvet is strong. I know she'll pull through. But what will we do about your world until then?" he asks.

Summer sighs, "I need someone to help Ruby and the others until Velvet is ready to return to them. I know I can't ask you to do this, Maotelus. You have your own duties to attend to. But still…I need your help…I need THEIR help," Summer pleads.

Maotelus nods to her, "Don't worry. I know they will aid us. They owe a lot to Velvet, after all…They will come…"

* * *

 **And that's the chapter and the Volume 3 finale. Maybe not quite what you were expecting, for the finale, huh? I have big plans for the Volume 4 arc of this story, so stay tuned. Beacon has fallen, and Team RVWBY is divided, and Velvet is…preoccupied at the moment. What does this mean for Ruby and Remnant? Who is "they" that Summer and Maotelus are referring to (I'll give you two guesses)? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	51. Chapter 51: New Arrival

**Here we are at Chapter 51. Some people were upset about Pyrrha dying, but there is a reason for it, one which you all will find out about in the future. Anyway, I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 51. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 51: New Arrival**

 _...Several months after the Fall of Beacon…_

Velvet is sleeping on a bed, enjoying a peaceful rest. A moment later, Ruby Rose walks up next to the bed.

"Velvet…Velvet…It's time to wake up," Ruby whispers into her ear.

"Ugh…five more minutes," Velvet groans as she tries to go back to sleep.

"Velvet…if you won't wake up…then who will be there to save me?" Ruby says ominously.

Velvet opens her eyes and looks, only to see a Beowolf appear behind Ruby, with its claws raised.

Velvet widens her eyes, "RUBY!" she screams as she reaches for her.

…

Velvet suddenly jumps up, with her arm outstretched, breathing heavily. She takes a moment, realizing it was just a dream. But then she remembers something.

"Ruby!" Velvet says as she stands up, only to find herself back in the white expanse from before.

"I see you've finally woken up," she hears behind her and looks back to see Summer Rose standing there. "It's good to see you're alright Velvet Crowe," she says.

Velvet quickly walks right up to her, "Where is Ruby?!" she demands.

"Listen, we need to talk," Summer begins.

"I don't have time for that. Ruby is in trouble. The school is under attack. And Pyrrha…Pyrrha…" Velvet trails off as she remembers what happened to Pyrrha.

"Velvet…the attack on Beacon is already over. The Fall of Beacon ended months ago," Summer admits.

"…What? What do…what do you mean?" Velvet asks.

"When you and Ruby made it to the top of the tower, you saw Cinder Fall kill Pyrrha Nikos. By that point, Cinder Fall had already killed the previous Fall Maiden, Amber, and stole the other half of her powers, becoming the new Fall Maiden. You tried to stop her, and then Ruby unleashed her power," Summer explains.

"Ruby…I remember her screaming and then something…bright came out of her eyes," Velvet remembers.

"Yes. The power of the Silver Eyes. Those born with Silver Eyes, a rare trait in my world, are gifted with incredible power. A power so great that even the Grimm themselves feared this power. It was in this one moment that I pulled you into this expanse, where you have been asleep for several months," Summer says.

"What?! What about Ruby? Is she alright?" Velvet asks frantically.

"Ruby is fine, but Velvet, you need to understand. Things…aren't good right now in Remnant," Summer says.

"What do you mean?" Velvet asks.

"Beacon has become infested with Grimm, and the tower is destroyed. With it gone, the CCT is down so no one can contact the outside world. People outside of Vale don't know what really happened. All they saw were Atlas machines attacking innocent civilians, and Grimm invading the school. The divide between the kingdoms has grown even more so now because of it. Some people have lost their lives in this tragedy," Summer says.

"Well…what about my team?" Velvet asks.

"Right now, Team RVWBY…is divided and disbanded," Summer admits.

Velvet appears stunned, "What?" she asks.

"Weiss was taken be her father back to Atlas, and has been kept there under his watch for months. Blake ran away after everyone got into Vale, and hasn't been seen since. Yang, my sweet sunflower, lost her arm, and is living back with her father, very depressed. She and Ruby have a strained relationship now. And Ruby…is alive, thank the gods, but has left our home in Patch to pursue those responsible for the Fall of Beacon," Summer says.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Send me to Ruby so I can help her!" Velvet demands.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. At least, not yet anyway," Summer replies.

"What are you talking about?" Velvet asks, starting to lose her patience.

"Velvet…I need you to take a moment, close your eyes and a deep breathe, and then I need you to focus within yourself," Summer says.

"What does that have to do anything?" Velvet asks.

"Please, just do it. Trust me," Summer pleads. Velvet growls a little bit, but sighs and complies. "Now, I need to you to get a feel of your power. Do you sense anything that seems…different than before?" Summer asks.

Velvet remains still for a few moments, not understanding what Summer is talking about, but tries it anyway. For the first few moments, she feels nothing, and is about to call it quits…when she suddenly senses something different within her. It didn't feel like her aura, or her demon powers. This felt…brighter than that.

"I…I feel…something. It feels…warm, and bright, not like my own powers. What is it?" Velvet asks, keeping her eyes closed.

Summer sighs, "It's just as I thought. Velvet Crowe, you have a piece of the Fall Maiden's powers," she says.

Velvet opens her eyes at this point, "What?" she asks, confused.

"You used your power on Cinder Fall right as Ruby was about to unleash her power. Even though it was only for a short moment, you managed to absorb a spark of it before everything went white from Ruby's power," Summer explains.

"So what? Can I do the same things that Cinder did?" Velvet asks.

"Not quite. Like I said, it is only a small part of the Fall Maiden's powers, but it is a start. That is why you are here. I will teach you a few things about this power to help you learn how to control it. After that, I will send you back to Remnant," Summer says.

"But how long will that take?" Velvet asks.

"Hopefully, not too long. But until then, you must remain here," Summer says.

"And what about my teammates? What about Ruby?" Velvet asks again, worried for them.

"Fear not, I have sent others in your place to help them for the time being," Summer says as she tries to calm her worries.

"What? Who?" Velvet asks again.

"Some people that you know very well…" Summer says.

Velvet stays motionless for a moment, thinking, before her eyes widen, "Wait, do you mean…"

…

Meanwhile, in a forest somewhere on the continent of Anima, two members of Team JNPR, Ren and Nora, walk through the forest, both wearing new outfits. Nora's new outfit still has her old gloves, but she now wears a white top similar to her old one, though the heart cut-out on top has a diagonal cut through it. She is wearing a shorter, detached white sleeve on her left arm. Over her shirt is a zippered blue-black bomber jacket with a damaged print of her emblem on the back and pink stripes along the sleeves. The pink bands of the jacket tighten on her upper arms. Her pink skirt is slightly longer with pleats that create some flair and two wide belt loops at the waist for her matching belt. She is also wearing knee-high pink socks just visible above calf-length boots, which are white with pink laces. She has her weapon, Magnihild, resting on her back, ready to go. Meanwhile, Ren is wearing his hair down, which has grown, and is almost waist-length. He is wearing a longer green sleeveless tailcoat, and a black, sleeveless turtleneck with red, tasseled ropes over the hips under it. He is also wearing white pants that get tighter below the knees, and calf-length open-toed sandals. From his middle finger to his biceps run gradient pink-to-black detached sleeves in metal arm bands. On his hips are his twin pistols, StormFlower, in their non-combat forms, rather than in his old sleeves.

"I'm just saying, there's more members of Team JNPR in this team than RWBY. It just makes to go with THAT one," Nora says to Ren.

"But JNRR (Junior) isn't a color," Ren replies, scratching his head.

Nora groans and rests her head in her hands, "Ugh. How can I be more clear?!" she says and then raises her right hand as 'JNRR' appears above it in white lettering. "One, two, three. That's MORE than one," she says as she counts up each letter.

"But we're helping Ruby with her objective," Ren counters, raising his right hand as 'RNJR' (Ranger) appears above it in white letters. "Wouldn't that make HER the leader?" Ren asks, pointing at the first 'R'.

Behind Ren, Jaune who is kneeling behind a fallen tree log, in his same attire, looks back to them, "Guys…We need to focus," he says as he looks forward. "…Also JNRR is way cooler," he says, much to the joy of Nora.

"EXACTLY!" Nora screams in joy, hands on her hips.

Ren raises his arms and sighs in defeat, until they suddenly feel the ground shake around them as they try to keep their balance. Jaune looks at some pebbles on the ground as the shaking continues, followed by loud sounds coming up ahead of him as he turns back to the sounds.

"…It's here," he says.

From atop a cliff, Ruby Rose flies through rose petals in the air. Her attire has changed much over time. She is wearing a white high-neck décolletage blouse. She still has on her old black and red skirt, but her waist cincher has been replaced with an overbust corset. A black belt bordered in red holds the magnetic clip for Crescent Rose and its ammunition. She is also wearing brown straps on her blouse, allowing her to wear a small backpack. Instead of full black stockings, Ruby now wears thigh-high black stockings reaching to a few inches below the hem of her skirt, decorated by an image of a long-stemmed rose. Her red sole black boots contain four straps and buckles apiece. Her signature cloak has a singular clip on the right shoulder in the shape of her rose emblem, replacing the cross-shaped clips she used to wear. Both the cloak and the stockings show some tears from previous battles. Her hair has grown slightly longer, with the same color gradation from black at the roots to red at the tips.

Currently, Ruby flies through the air while firing off four shots from her weapon's rifle mode. Suddenly, trees begin to fall and move as a giant beast made up of random boulders breaks through the tree line, with the white, single-eyed, face of a Geist in the center, a ghost-type Grimm that can manipulate its surroundings into a body for itself. The Geist falls off the cliff as it swings at Ruby, and they both fall into the trees below the cliff.

"Bad! Landing! Strategy!" Ruby shouts as she falls on two tree branches before stopping at a third.

Ruby then quickly shoots out from the tree as the Geist Grimm, with its stone arms, smashes the tree and others around it in an attempt to crush her. The Grimm takes out some more trees, just barely missing Jaune, Ren, and Nora. Ruby lands on the ground on the Geist's right side, and it turns to face her again.

"Let's get that thing off them!" Jaune says and starts running around the Geist Grimm to get its attention.

Ren jumps in between two trees twice before landing on one high tree branch to get a better view.

"Don't forget me!" Nora says, and fires her weapon in its grenade launcher form, making it spew out pink smoke as it propels her up and onto the same branch as Ren.

"We need to draw its attention away from Ruby," Ren says.

"Could use some help!" Ruby shouts as she flies right by them and hits the Grimm with her scythe before firing off a shot at it while propelling her away from it.

A second later, Ren jumps higher into the tree while Nora fires off three grenades that hit the Grimm in its back, but do little damage. Ren jumps between several trees, firing off his auto-pistols at the Grimm. The Geist tries to kill him by swinging his arms around, but only manages to destroy the trees that Ren was previously in. Ren lands on one tree and then jumps into the air as it gets smashed, flipping his body around as he lands on the Grimm's arm. He runs up the Grimm's arm and then jumps high into the air. He spins his body and the blades on his auto-pistols around as he falls towards the Grimm. The Geist uses its arm to block its face, forcing Ren to attack the main body, but only scratching the surface as he jumps off.

"We gotta get in closer!" Jaune yells.

Ren lands next to his right, "My blades don't hurt him!" he says.

The group gets ready for the Geist to attack again, but then suddenly a wall of flames appears between them and the Geist, forcing it back.

"What's going on now?!" Jaune yells.

"Yahoo!" they hear a female voice behind them and turn around to see a girl flying in above them on a…a large sheet of decorative paper? "Let's get this party started!" she yells.

The girl has long, platinum-blond hair and light skin. Her clothing is an eclectic mix of pink and blue, with hints of lavender, and resembles that of a court jester. Her skirt consists of books, each with a designated purpose. The group were confused by her attire, and even more confused by how she was flying in the air on a big card. The woman suddenly pulls out three more cards and throws them at the Geist, exploding on impact when they hit its body. The girl then pulls out a fourth card and suddenly it gets longer and bigger, which she uses to swing at its legs, knocking it off balance and causing it to fall to the ground. The girl then lands in front of the group.

"Well, looks like I got here just in time. Then again, the lead actress always shows up late to make a grand entrance," the girl says as she turns to them.

"Wait, who are you?" Ruby asks.

"Ah, I'm so glad you asked. Now listen closely, you are in the presence of a mighty sorceress. That's right, I am Mazhigigika Miludin do Din Nolurun Dou. Also known as Magilou for short. Make sure you don't forget it!" the girl cheers as she spins around on her heels and waves her arms dramatically.

"You're…who now?" Jaune asks, not understanding a single word of that.

Magilou sighs, "Oh, woe is me for finding people that can't understand my magnificence," she says dramatically. "Just call me Magilou," she says.

" _Magilou…why does that sound familiar?"_ Ruby wonders, but then the Geist gets back on its feet. "We'll talk about that later. Right now, we need to kill that Geist.

Magilou turns to the Grimm, _"Ah, so this is a Grimm. I must admit, they don't appear to be that different from the demons back in my world. Luckily, Summer Rose helped me understand how this world works. Velvet certainly found herself in quite an interesting world,"_ she thinks, and then pulls out another card that floats above her right index finger. "Sure thing, I'll help out. From what I can tell, that thing can use the environment as a weapon in a way, so we'll need to take out its arms in order to go for the head. That'll probably be the best way to kill it."

"Okay, um…" Jaune trails off as he thinks, but then comes up with an idea," Okay, here's the plan. Ruby, right, Ren, left. Um…whoever you are, just…keep it busy in the sky. Nora…ready to try out the new upgrade?" he asks.

"Oh yeah!" Nora cheers.

The Geist raises its right arm and swings it down on them, forcing them to all jump back. Magilou jumps onto another card and flies up into the air. She conjures up a flame orb arte and fires it at the Geist' face, but it uses its left arm to block the attack. Ren then flies in from its left flank and lands on the arm to fire off his pistols for a moment before he jumps off. Meanwhile, Ruby circles around through the trees, firing off her sniper-scythe a few times before the Geist takes a swing at her, destroying a few trees. On the ground, Nora stands off to the side, charging up her hammer, while Jaune remains nearby. Magilou flies around, dodging its flailing arms before she takes her card board and swings it at its face, staggering it, before she retreats from a swing of its right arm. Magilou then looks back to Jaune and Nora.

"You guys ready yet?" she calls out.

Jaune looks to Nora, who nods, and then looks to Magilou, "We're ready! Ruby!" he calls out. Ruby moves and lands next to Nora. "Give it everything you've got! You, I need you to distract him!" Jaune says, the last one to Magilou.

"Hmph. Making a fair maiden like myself do the hard work. He's almost like Velvet in that regard," Magilou mutters before going in.

She activates an arte, and sends up a wall of water from under the Geist' feet, that distracts it, followed by a fire tornado that forces it onto one knee. Ruby then makes her moves by using her semblance to take her and Nora into a twister of red and pink, spiraling towards the Grimm. The Grimm tries to protect itself, but they blast through its arms, and then Nora smashes her hammer down on it, taking out the body. The body falls to the ground, and the Geist flies out of the rocks, attempting to flee. However, Magilou sends out three cards that fly at it and explode, killing the Grimm. Magilou lands in front of the others.

"Well that was fun," she notes.

"Well, that's a job well done. Let's head back to the village and tell the mayor that the Geist is gone. Thank you, uh…" Ruby trails off.

"My name is Magilou," Magilou says.

"Are you a huntress? I've never seen a huntress with skills like you before," Ren asks.

"Wrong, I am a witch, for whom the universe is a plaything, and the souls of men are motes," Magilou corrects him.

When she hears that, it finally hits Ruby, "Oh, I remember you now. Weren't you one of Velvet's friends?" she asks, surprised.

"Wait, this girl knows Velvet?" Nora asks.

Magilou then gets really close to Ruby, "Oh, so she told you about me, hmm? Nothing bad I'm sure. And you must be Ruby Rose. So you're the one that managed to capture our resident moody girl's heart. It's nice to meet you," she says. _"Welp, I found my goal. Here's to hoping the others are just as lucky with theirs."_

…

"So, my friends are in Remnant now," Velvet says.

"For the time being, yes. But right now, we need to focus on you. For now, I will help you learn how to use the Maiden's power. This will help you in the future," Summer says.

Velvet wants to get back to Ruby, but if she doesn't learn how to control this power, that may put her in danger.

Velvet sighs, "Fine…But this better not take too long. I must get back to Ruby as soon as possible," she says.

Summer nods her head, "It shouldn't take too long. Now come…let us begin…"

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Yes, as I'm sure you've all figured it out, Velvet's group (minus Laphicet), is now in Remnant. Magilou is with Ruby, and the others will be with the rest of Team RVWBY. How will Ruby deal with Magilou? What about the rest of Velvet's group? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	52. Chapter 52: One's Own Will

**Here we are at Chapter 52. I'm sure you guys know whose coming next. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 52. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 52: One's own Will**

After finishing up things in the village, and getting Jaune's new armor and gear, the group continued on their journey to Mistral. Only now, they have one more addition to their little group, Magilou.

"So, why are you coming along with us again?" Jaune asks.

"I just have this feeling that I'll find some interesting things if I tag along with you guys. Besides, I actually want to get to know more about Velvet's little girlfriend here," Magilou says, pointing her thumb at Ruby.

"That reminds me, how did you know that Ruby and Velvet are in a relationship? By my recollection, I've never seen you anywhere near Beacon before it fell," Ren asks.

"I'm a witch, like I said before. I have ways of knowing things that I'm interested in," Magilou plays it off. _"Or a little birdie named Summer Rose told me about that, but where's the fun in telling them."_

"Okay, but if that's the case, then would you know anything about the people who attacked Beacon and Vale?" Nora asks.

"Sorry, I never said I knew everything. Only what interests me," Magilou shrugs her shoulders.

"Well, some help you are," Jaune mutters.

"Excuse me, and who exactly helped save your butts from that Geist Grimm? Last time I checked, you were standing off to the sidelines," Magilou retorts with a smug grin.

"Come on guys, let's all calm down. If she comes with us, then that means more help for us. Who knows what else we'll find on our way to Mistral. We may need all the help we can get," Ruby says, being the voice of reason, but then glances back at Magilou. _"But, if she's here, then that means that she came from Velvet's world. Did…did Mom have something to do with that?"_ she wonders.

"Ruby is right. For now, let's focus on getting to Haven Academy. The more help we get the better," Ren says.

"Finally, someone who appreciates my greatness," Magilou says.

…

Meanwhile, in Atlas, Weiss had just left her father's study in their mansion, having learned that he'll be hosting a show of sorts, and that she was to sing to the people attending. And that she didn't really have a choice in the matter. She is now wearing a short, glittering dress with a color gradation of blue to pale blue at the hem, a sweetheart neckline, and a white, tulle petticoat. She is also wearing a white ribbon wrapped multiple times around her waist, and over the outfit is wearing a slightly sheer long-sleeved blue shrug fastened at the collar with a large sapphire broach that has three pendants dangling from it. Printed on the back of her shrug is the Schnee Crest. She also has on dark blue wedge heels and sapphire earrings. Luckily, her butler, Klein, helped to cheer her up with come hot coffee and a few jokes about her father. She is lucky to at least have him nearby. She could always trust him. Weiss leaves to return to her room, to at least rest a little bit before she has to start practicing for her father, all the while carrying a solemn expression on her face.

 _"Over half a year since that day. To think that it has been so long since I last saw my teammates…Ruby, Velvet, Blake…Yang. I miss them so much,"_ she thinks.

However, as she walks back to her room through the large mansion, something comes into view in the corner of her eyes. She stops and moves to hide behind one corner in the hallway, leaning out to see someone, a young woman, standing and looking at her family's portrait. Someone she does not recognize. Someone who should not be here in the first place. The woman has fair skin, grass-green eyes and long bright-red hair with alternating streaks of a peach-pink which is tied into long twintails by two spiky teal hairbands that end with orange parallel-laced ribbons. Her fringes are placed towards the side, revealing her forehead. Her outfit consists of a mid-length dress with multiple layers of white ruffles and matching long boots. Both have a golden-orange pattern with a form of insignia on them and her dress also has an extending flap which stems from the collar and through the midpoint of her outfit. Over her dress, she wears a long-sleeved, blue jacket of variant shades. The jacket's length is short and reaches her upper waist. It has the same lacing as her dress, as well as multiple buttons and a meandering orange shape at the wrists, which is finished off by finger-less gloves. Weiss sees her inspecting the picture.

"Hmm, it really is a sad family portrait. The only one smiling is the boy in the middle, while the wife and daughters look sad, and the father looks neither sad nor happy. I'm guessing things aren't so good in this household for the family," she hears the girl say to herself.

 _"Who in the world is this girl, and how did she get in here in the first place. Ugh, the security here really need some improvements,"_ Weiss notes.

"Well I can't dwell on that right now. Time to find Weiss Schnee," she hears the girl say before she starts to walk off.

 _"Wait, is she looking for me? But why? Is she with the White Fang? No, she definitely wasn't a Faunus. I need to get my weapon, but she walked right into the direction of my room,"_ Weiss worries before she comes out from hiding and decides to follow the woman.

Travelling through the corridors of her ridiculously large and unnecessary home, Weiss follows the woman. She keeps her distance, wanting to make sure she isn't spotted by the woman, or by any of the staff here. After a few minutes of playing a life version of those spy movies, Weiss comes around one corner that's close to her room, only to find no sign of the woman. She moves to one hallway to see the door to her room close as she rounds the corner. The woman must have gone inside. Weiss grist her teeth as this will make it more difficult to retrieve her weapon. However, she still has her semblance, and all she needs is one moment to retrieve her rapier. Weiss slowly moves to the door, grasps the handle while readying her semblance, and then quickly opens the door to find…no one in the room.

"Huh?" Weiss wonders as she slowly walks into her room, and moves to her case on her dresser that contains Myrtenaster. However, when she opens it, she finds the case empty. "What? Where is it, and where is that woman?" she mutters.

"Looking for this?" she hears behind her and turns to find the woman standing in front of the closed door, wielding an intricate spear with two blades on one end, and her rapier in her left. "I apologize for barging in without a proper invite, but I highly doubt your father would just let me in if I asked politely," the woman says.

Weiss activates her semblance to conjure up a glyph underneath the woman's feet, but then a sudden burst of wind springs forth and destroys her glyph. Weiss appears shocked at this, but before she can retaliate, the woman thrusts forth her spear, stopping the blade just an inch from her throat.

"I would strongly advise you don't try that again for right now," the woman says.

"When security finds out about this, you won't be able to escape," Weiss says.

"They won't find out about me. I'm afraid you're on your own right now," the woman says.

"Who are you? Why are you here looking for me?" Weiss demands an answer.

"…I didn't come here to fight or kidnap you," the woman says before she lowers her spear and gives Weiss her rapier back. "My name is Eleanor Hume, and I am the Shepherd. I apologize for barging in like this, but I needed to see you as soon as possible," Eleanor introduces herself.

 _"Eleanor Hume? Shepherd? What on Remnant is she talking about?"_ Weiss wonders as she remains defensive.

"I see you're having a hard time believing me. I'm would assume Velvet told you about me at least once," Eleanor says.

"Velvet?" Weiss wonders, but then it hits her. _"…We fought against each other one time, and I won. I could've killed her, but instead I forced her into becoming my servant. She swore an oath that she would obey any order I give her and follow me wherever I go. It was tense at first, considering our histories, but over time, we got to know each other, and eventually came to become close friends. In the end, she became someone I could trust with my life…"_ Weiss remembers the words Velvet once said about one of her old friends, a girl named Eleanor. "You're…one of Velvet Crowe's friends, correct. Eleanor? She said that you were at one time enemies because you were an exorcist and she was a demon. Is that true?" Weiss asks, still keeping her guard up.

"Yes, that is true. It was only after travelling with her and the rest of our group that I learned the truth about the Abbey, and saw what lengths they were willing to go to achieve their ideal world. It was thanks to her that I learned the truth, and realized how naïve I was being by just blindly following their orders. So she did tell you about me," Eleanor says.

Now knowing that she is one of Velvet's friends, Weiss becomes more relaxed, "Yes, and about her past. So I know you're not from Remnant, but that begs the question of what you are doing here. If you're looking for Velvet, she's…well…she's missing right now. It's just…a lot has happened recently," Weiss says as she turns away, thinking about her friends.

"I have been made aware of the current situation here in Remnant. That's why I am here. I am here to help you get your team back together," Eleanor says.

"Why would you be here for that? My team is…it's gone. Disbanded. With Beacon gone now, there's no point in any of this now," Weiss mutters, holding her arms together in sadness.

Eleanor thinks for a moment, "…Come with me. And bring your sword," Eleanor says.

"What? Why?" Weiss asks.

"To train. I need to see what kind of person I'll be working with here. I'm sorry, but this is not a request. Follow me," Eleanor says and then leaves the room.

Wondering what the Hell she is going on about, Weiss follows her and notices how they haven't once been spotted by any of the staff in the mansion. She follows Eleanor out to behind the mansion, into the large courtyard where Winter used to train Weiss.

"What are we doing out here? If anyone sees you, they'll get security," Weiss says.

"You do not need to worry about that. As for why we are out here, it's like I said earlier: to train. My mission is to get you back to your teammates, but first I need to know what I'm working with. So, you will face me in a duel," Eleanor explains.

"What would be the point in that? I'm…not a huntress of Beacon anymore," Weiss replies.

"…Then what are you, Weiss Schnee? Are you a huntress? Or are you someone who lets another control their own will?" Eleanor asks.

"I…I'm…" Weiss trails off.

Eleanor sighs, "I'm sorry. But time is not on our side," Eleanor says…before she suddenly jumps forth and thrusts her spear at Weiss.

Weiss barely has enough time to raise her rapier to block the surprise strike, but Eleanor does not let up. She makes a long upward swings with her spear to knock Weiss back, and then she spins her spear around at Weiss. Weiss manages to evade the attack and then jumps back.

"What are you doing?! What is the point in all of this?!" Weiss yells.

"If you can't see the reason for this, then I feel sorry for Velvet if you're the person that was supposed to be her friend and watching her back," Eleanor retorts.

Weiss grits her teeth and runs at Eleanor, thrusting her rapier at her when she gets close. However, Eleanor tabs her spear into the ground and jumps into the air, avoiding the strike, and spinning around to kick Weiss in the face, knocking her back once again. When Weiss gets back up, she switches her Dust chamber to the fire Dust, swings her weapon around, and then conjures up a few fireballs to launch at Eleanor. Eleanor spins her spear around to block the shots, but then Weiss appears from her flank and thrusts her rapier at her. However, a sudden burst of wind appears once again to block Weiss' attack. This gives Eleanor a chance to catch the blade of Weiss' weapon within the space between the blades on her spear. She swings her spear around, forcing the weapon out of Weiss' hand. She then swings her spear low, sweeping Weiss off her feet. Just as Weiss gets back up, Eleanor has her spear back at her throat once again.

"From that quick exchange, I can tell that you haven't trained with this weapon in months. No matter what happens, you should always keep your skills sharp. Whether you're an exorcist, or a huntress," Eleanor says before she pulls her spear away from Weiss. She then offers her a hand, "I see we will have some work to do before we can move forward," she says.

Weiss begrudgingly accepts the hand and stand up, "I don't think you understand. Beacon is gone, my team is disbanded, and Yang is…Yang is…" Weiss trails off as she thinks about her girlfriend.

"So what's stopping you from helping them then?" Eleanor asks.

"What do you mean? I can't just leave. My father would never allow it," Weiss retorts.

"I see. So ultimately, it is your father who decides your fate, not yourself? You are perfectly content with letting him control your will?" Eleanor asks.

"No, of course not…But I…" Weiss trails off again.

Eleanor gives her a sympathetic look, "I was like you once, Weiss. Back when I was with the Abbey, I thought as long as I followed Lord Artorius' orders, that I was doing what was right. All according to the Abbey's 'reason', as they used to say. But, I was naïve. As I travelled with Velvet, I learned what the AQbbey was really about, and what Lord Artorius' idea of a perfect world would really be like. I decided then that I couldn't just blindly follow his orders anymore. I still believed in the ideal world he spoke of, but I decided that I would work towards that world in my own way. So that everyone could be themselves. So that they wouldn't have their free will stripped away from them. My will is my own, and no one can take that away from me," Eleanor explains.

"You don't know anything about me," Weiss tries to retort, though her defense seems rather weak.

"I wouldn't be so sure. I see a girl that lost many things that are precious to her. A school that was more like a home. Good friends…Someone truly special to you. I see a girl who allows someone to make decisions for her, even though she doesn't agree with any part of them. Weiss, your will is yours alone, and only you can decide your fate. I want you to reunite with your teammates, but I can't force you to make that choice. YOU have to choose," Eleanor says. Weiss slowly looks back at her. "And I can tell you…that Velvet would say the same…"

…

Meanwhile, it is late at night, and Ruby's group sit around a campfire in the middle of the forest. Earlier, the group had gone through a village that had recently been attacked by a tribe of bandits, and had found the entire population there dead, except for a mortally wounded huntsmen. Though he was already on death's door by the time they got there. Though that had already passed, it was still weighing on their minds.

"It's shame what happened to those people," Ruby notes as she stare at the campfire.

"Maybe if we got there sooner, we could've helped them. Maybe even have had the chance to stop those bandits," Jaune says.

"Don't bet on it. There's no point in worrying about something that has already happened, and it was out of your control," Magilou says as she twirls a card in her hand.

This angers Jaune a bit, "How can you say that? They were innocent people. You can't just write them off like that!" he says.

"Hey, where I came from, that was practically a common thing. I just got used to it. Besides, you can't save everyone, Mr. Hero. Had you'd been there when that village was being attacked, you all would've probably been killed. In the end, you guys never finished your training at Beacon. This world is a crazy place. Bad things happen all the time, from what I've seen," Magilou says.

"But-," Jaune begins.

"Jaune…she has a point," Ren stops him. "Anima is a large continent. There are a lot of villages beyond the kingdom's walls. Many have fallen to bandits and Grimm over the passing of time. Not just here, but all across Remnant. By the time any huntsmen show up, it is already too late. It's a lesson they had to learn the hard way. A lesson we now have to learn," he says.

"Oohhoo, you wouldn't happen to be speaking from personal experience, are you, pink-streak?" Magilou asks.

Nora and Ren just look at each other, "We'd rather not talk about it," Nora says.

"I think for now, we should just get some sleep. We still have a long way to go to get to Haven," Ruby says.

"Sure thing, but I feel like going for a walk for a few minutes. Don't worry, I won't go anywhere," Magilou says as she stand up and leaves the group. After getting a little bit of distance from the group, Magilou stops. "Got something you want to ask me?" she asks and looks back to see Ruby following her.

"I thought it would be better if the others didn't hear this right now. Did…did my mom sent you here? I know that you aren't from Remnant, just like Velvet," Ruby asks.

"Oh, so you know then, about what she is and what she did back in our world. And yet, you still care about her so much?" Magilou asks, curious.

"Velvet may have done some bad things back home, but that doesn't mean she's a bad person. I know her, I care about her. She's always been there for me. I…I…" Ruby trails off.

Magilou smirks, "You LOVE her, right?" she teases her.

Ruby blushes a deep red from this, "W-W-What? Well, I really care about her, so I, um…" Ruby has trouble finishing her sentence.

Magilou laughs, "Hahaha, you're just too easy…Yes, your mother sent me here to help you out, though I won't be around forever. Just for a while. And as for Velvet, don't worry about her. She's in good hands," she says.

This really gets Ruby's attention, "Velvet! Have you seen here?!" she asks.

"Eh, sort of. Look, just know that she's okay, and that you'll see her soon enough. Just keep doing what you're doing for right now, okay?" Magilou says.

Ruby slowly nods, but does feel better knowing that her girlfriend is okay, and that one day, she'll see her again.

"Right…Thank you, Magilou," Ruby says.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Now we have Weiss meeting Eleanor, while Ruby's group get used to being with Magilou. I have a little extra time on my hands for right now because I'll be graduating from college in a few days, and all my work is done (though that sometimes leaves me a little nuts because that's more time than I know what to do with since I'm used to being busy), so this chapter comes in early. Anyway, who's the next person from Velvet's group to join the story? What awaits Team RVWBY in the future? Let's just go where the wind takes us. Until then, please Read and Review.**


	53. Chapter 53: The Reaper

**Here we are at Chapter 53. Time for the next member of Velvet's group to join our stage. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 53. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 53: The Reaper**

… _In Patch…_

It is a little late in the morning in the Xiao Long household. Yang walks down the stairs from her room, though her steps lack their useful cheer and purpose, while wearing a different outfit then what she used to wear. She has her hair up in a messy ponytail, and is wearing a gray jacket over an orange tank top that bears her hips. The jacket is tied at the right sleeve, indicating her missing arm which still has some bandages around the stump. The jacket's left sleeve shows her father's emblem, and she is also wearing gray-brown cargo pants, which show the rim of her dark undergarments. High on the left leg of her pants is a red shield-shaped patch with the imagery of three Ursa masks, and her emblem is stitch on her right thigh. When not wearing her jacket, the stump of her right arm shows itself being covered by a circular metallic plate. She is also wearing white sneakers. She walks into the living room and flops down onto the couch. It is quiet, almost peaceful even, though peace is far from the former firecracker's mind. Yang sighs as she looks at the stump that was once her right arm. So much was lost on that fateful day: her school, her team, her friends…Ruby is gone, looking for those responsible, and Weiss is…gone…

 _"I…I really liked her, even before we started dating. I wanted to be there for her…and yet she wasn't there for me…"_ Yang wonders bitterly.

"Hey Yang," she hears and looks up behind her to see her father, Taiyang Xiao Long standing behind the couch. "I got to go get some things for us, groceries and all that. I'll be back soon, okay?" he says.

"Sure. See you later, Dad," Yang replies.

Taiyang gives her a smile, though there is a hint of sadness in it, "I'll be back soon. Zwei will keep you company," he says, gesturing to their pet corgi, sleeping in his doggy bed.

Taiyang then walks out the front door, closing it behind him. Yang watches him go and then sighs again. Outside, Taiyang walks past the mailbox in front of the house and starts walking down the path away from the home. A moment later though, a shadowy figure comes out from behind one of the trees near the home.

"Well, this should be interesting…" the figure says.

…

In a vast white expanse, shots of fire fly through the air at several circles that look like the emblem for Beacon Academy. The shots are coming from Velvet Crowe, though not from her demon claw like usual, thus not making them fire artes. They are coming from her right hand, which shows some fire floating in the palm of her hand. Behind her outstretched hand, a small spark of flames is being emitted from her right eye, similar to how Cinder Fall's eyes look when using her powers. After firing off a few more shots, Velvet takes a calming breath as her flames dissipate.

"How's that?" she asks as she looks behind her to see Summer Rose walking towards her.

"You're getting better, Velvet. Luckily, the amount of the Maiden's power you wield is only a small part of it, thus making it easier to control. How does it feel?" she asks.

Velvet looks at her right hand, "It feels…different. Not like my fire artes from Seres, or from my claw, or even my semblance. It feels…warm…but at the same time, distant," Velvet replies.

"The Maiden's power is linked to one's aura, just like a semblance. However, it is a power that does not work like a semblance, because it is pure magic. Your artes from your world are similar, but are still different. Even your Therion powers are different from it as well. It will take some getting used to, but I'm confident you'll become attuned to it soon," Summer says.

"I hope so. I'm worried about Ruby," Velvet says as she looks away, thinking about her girlfriend.

Summer smiles at this, "That makes me very happy, you know," she says.

"What does?" Velvet asks as she looks back at her.

"That you care about her so much. While yes, I was a little worried for her when she said that she wanted to be a huntress, that was not the only thing I was worried about for her. Ruby is not like many girls, and I'm not saying this just because I'm her mother. She's special, and I always thought that there wouldn't be anyone in this world that would be worthy enough to be her significant other…Well, then again, you aren't exactly from my world, so I guess that doesn't apply to you," Summer says, giggling a bit.

"Uh huh…" Velvet deadpans.

"What I am saying is that I am actually proud that Ruby found someone that cares about her so much. Oh, I can't wait to see what kind of dress she would wear at your wedding," Summer starts getting stars in her eyes.

Velvet blushes a deep crimson from this, "W-W-Wedding?! Ruby and I have only been on one date! We're nowhere near ready for something like marriage yet!" she retorts.

Summer smirks, "Oh, so there IS a marriage in your future plans with her?" she teases her.

"Will you shut up?! I thought you'd be more mature than this…I can see where Ruby got her immaturity from," Velvet says as she crosses her arms and looks away, still blushing.

Summer giggles a little more, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just couldn't help myself…But anyway, let's get back into your practice. You've nearly got good control over it. A little bit more, and you'll be ready to return to Remnant," Summer says, getting a little more serious as she conjures up more Beacon emblem targets a distance away from them.

Velvet shakes her blush off, takes a deep breath, and activates her Maiden power again, the sparks of flames erupting from her right eye. She raises her right hand to conjure up more flames, and continues with her training.

…

In a dark place somewhere on Remnant, a dead land filled with dark, purple glowing crystals, covered by a dark red sky along with the shattered moon. A small pool of black ooze sits idly, until a black, clawed hand rises from the ooze, and then a second, and then the full body rises from the pool, revealing itself to be a Beowolf. The Beowolf crawls out of the pool, roars, and then begins walking somewhere, passing by more pits of the same ooze, each one with a new Beowolf sprouting from them and taking their first steps behind it.

In a castle of sorts overlooking this dark landscape, Mercury and Emerald, the two members of Cinder Fall's crew, watch in horror at the birth of these Grimm. A moment later, a gloved hand snaps its fingers, beckoning them to return to the table in the center of the room. The room has windows all around it, with the same dark crystals as before surrounding the room, each with a lit candle on top. The long table in the center is glowing purple, with three chairs on the two longer sides each, looking is if they were made of wood…or bone. Meanwhile, a large chair sitting at the center of the table is made of more dark crystals, and behind it appears an altar perhaps, made with the same crystals and having several lit candles placed on it.

In one seat near the front is Cinder Fall, though with a new appearance. Cinder's hair is much shorter now, and she wears a black mask over where her left eye should be, showing some scarring just outside the mask's edge, leaving a slight x-shape scar over the bridge of her nose. She is wearing a long, dark red dress with one long, wide sleeve hiding her left arm. The edges of the collar and the opening of the arm are gold-colored, and the upper chest and left sleeve are decorated with golden designs. The right side of her dress is open from the hip down, with two gold-colored straps made up of interwoven ropes connecting the front half to the back half across her thigh. Under the dress is black pantyhose. On the right hip, the dress has a black rhombus-shaped gem in gold-colored metal of the same shape, with feathers of varying shades of blue extending from the bottom of it. On her right arm is a long, gray glove, the top of which has a gold-colored metal ring with curvy branching extensions going up her arm. Her right ear has a new, ring-shaped earring higher up than the dangling black gem earring.

After snapping her fingers, Mercury and Emerald walk to stand on her left, though Emerald pushes Mercury away so she can stand closer to Cinder.

"Now then, Cinder, there is something I wish to discuss with you. I chose to keep this away from Watts, Hazel, and Tyrian. I believe you've dealt with enough harassment for now," Cinder looks to see another individual sitting in the main chair at the table.

The women's skin is a deathly pallor, covered with deep red and purple veins that run up her arms and face. The sclerae of her eyes are jet black and her irises glow red, even brighter when she is agitated. She has a black diamond-shaped marking in the center of her forehead. She is wearing a very long black robe with red designs resembling eyes. She is also wearing a ring resembling an insect on her right index finger. She has white hair formed into a bun with six offshoots from which ornaments are suspended. This is her master, Salem.

"They maybe not have been able to tell…but I could from your first few treatment sessions…You don't possess the full power of the Fall Maiden, do you," Salem says, showing a slight frown. Cinder grits her teeth, knowing she can't hide it from her master. "I know the girl with the Silver Eyes couldn't have done this. So, who took the other piece of your powers?" she asks. Cinder has Emerald lean close to her and she whispers something into her ear. A moment later Emerald leans back. "Speak, child," Salem asks Emerald.

"She says…it was the girl with the demon claw semblance. Part of her semblance allows her to absorb forms of energy, including Dust. Right before Ruby Rose used her powers, Velvet grabbed Cinder with her demon claw, and that must have been when she absorbed a part of her powers before everything went white. That girl's name is Velvet Crowe," Emerald explains for Cinder.

"I see…and what happened to this Velvet Crowe afterwards?" Salem asks.

"We…don't know. She just…vanished after Ruby unleashed her powers. We don't know if she's even still alive," Emerald says.

Salem hums at this, "Hmm. Well, I highly doubt this Velvet Crowe is truly dead. Had she'd been so, the piece of the Fall Maiden's power would've returned to you, Cinder. That means that she's still alive, and that she now possesses a piece of the Maiden's power. Make no mistake, you have more of it now than before when you attacked the previous Fall Maiden. However, this will complicate things when the time comes to retrieve the Relic from Beacon. The problem is that we don't have any concrete idea on where this Velvet Crowe is. Tyrian is currently searching for the girl with the Silver Eyes, and that takes priority at the moment. For now, we'll focus on your treatment and your training. However, I believe that soon enough, Velvet Crowe will reveal herself again, and when she does, we will use that chance to take back what is ours. I'll inform Tyrian to keep an eye out for her as well. But Cinder…" Salem says, showing a slight glare at Cinder. "Make sure when that time comes…that you don't FAIL me again. Understood?" she says chillingly.

Cinder looks a little scared, but nods slowly in acknowledgement.

…

Back at the Xiao Long Household, Yang had just finished watching some TV, but every channel, or at least all of the news channels, were still focused on the Fall of Beacon and the current efforts to rebuild and regain control of the situation. Not wanting to be reminded of the horrifying night, Yang turns the TV off and walks back up to her room. Sitting on her bed, she pulls out her scroll from her drawer, bringing up the photo album inside. She scrolls through some pictures, showing her team, to her and Ruby, and then to a few pictures of just her and Weiss when they were together. She stops on one picture that shows a selfie of her and Weis close together, smilingly happily, with the next one showing Weiss giving her a kiss on her cheek in the same moment. Seeing the pictures only makes Yang feel even more depressed, and so she puts the scroll away back in her drawer. It is then that Zwei suddenly runs into her room in a panic.

"What's wrong, Zwei?" she asks, concerned.

Zwei just whimpers and looks out her door. This prompts Yang to get up and slowly make her way to the stairs. She steps down each step slowly and quietly, trying not to make any noise. Looking around, she eventually finds someone standing in the living room, and the front door cracked open. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. Under his eyes he has black markings around his eye-bags. His attire consists of tailored black trousers tightened with two belts and brown boots and gloves. He also wears an orange shirt, a loose white shirt and a black waistcoat, finished off by the long-dark business type jacket. The man is looking through one of the books from the bookshelves in the living room, his back to Yang.

 _"Is this guy a burglar?! Crap, I can't fight him like this. I'll have to sneak up back to my room, grab my scroll, and call the police,"_ Yang thinks.

Slowly and quietly making her way back to her room, she pulls out her scroll to call for help, only for it to suddenly say that there is no service, thus making it useless. Yang silently groans and puts her scroll in her left pocket before making her way back downstairs. She finds the guy still going through the same book like no time has passed.

 _"I don't get it, if this guy is some kind of burglar, why is he only interested in an old book that was only like five lien? Wouldn't he go for the expensive stuff, then make a run for it out of here?"_ Yang wonders.

Looking around, she silently moves to grab a huge dictionary from another shelf behind the couch and slowly creeps up behind the stranger. She raises her book, ready to strike, and then…

"You know, if you want to sneak up on someone, you should really practice your stealth skills," the man suddenly says without looking back at her.

Seeing that she's been found out, Yang swings the book at him, only for the man to calmly grab the book, pull it out of her hand, and then grabs her arm and throws her out the front door. Yang rolls on the ground before she gets up on one knee, seeing the man calmly walk outside to meet her. Zwei then jumps up and lunges at the man, only for the man to easily sidestep the attack, making Zwei miss and roll on the ground next to Yang. Yang and Zwei get back up while the man takes a few steps towards them, hands in his pockets.

"If you want to beat me, you're gonna have to do a lot better than that," the man says, unimpressed. Yang clenches her fist and, not thinking, runs at him, throwing a left punch at his chest. However, the man just stands there and takes the punch. Yang's fist lands on his chest, but it doesn't seem to even tickle him. Yang looks up at the man, shocked. "…Was that supposed to hurt?" he says, getting bored.

He then throws a quick right punch that knocks Yang back onto the ground. Zwei then runs up and bites the man on his right leg, but he just looks down at him, and then kicks him off with ease. Yang staggers back to her feet, and growls, but then hears some growling behind her, and looks back to see an Ursa coming out from the tree line. This time, she gets scared and the man gets a little serious.

"Oh great!" Yang yells, only to see the man walk up in front of her. "What are you-," she begins.

"I'll take care of this. I can't have you dying on my just yet. Besides, that Grimm showing up here is probably my fault," he says and shakes his left arm, causing a stone-like wristlet to appear around his left arm.

The Ursa roars and runs at them. When it gets close, the man pulls out a gold coin of sorts, flicks it up with his left thumb, and then suddenly throws a series of crosses at the Grimm before he finishes it off with a hard left uppercut that sends the Grimm flying. It the Grimm hits the ground, dead, while the man calmly catches the coin in his right hand. Yang looks on in slight awe at seeing someone take out an Ursa with just his bare hands. Now she was really scared for what he had planned for her.

"Well, that takes care of that," the man says, pulling back his wristlet, just in time to block a punch from Yang. "Really? I saved your life, and you thank me by trying to punch me?" he asks.

"Oh yeah, like I'd thank someone who tried to break into my home and attacked me!" Yang retorts.

"Well, the door was unlocked, and for the record, you attacked first. Also, I didn't come here to commit burglary. In this instance, it's not my style. I figured you'd be smarter than this, since you're one of Velvet's teammates," the man says.

This gets Yang's attention, "W-Wait, how do you know Velvet?!" she asks as she steps back.

"I figured she would've talked about me once," he says and pulls out his coin again, flicking it up in the air. "My name is Eizen…I'm the Reaper," he says, catching the coin in his left hand.

Yang gasps at hearing this.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Velvet's training is nearly complete, and Yang meets Eizen the Reaper. Meanwhile, Salem learns of Velvet's existence, and that she possesses a part of the Fall Maiden's power. Things are getting really interesting, and now only one member of Velvet's crew remains, along with only one other member of Team RVWBY. How will Yang cope with the one called the Reaper? When will Velvet return to Remnant? Who will show up next? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	54. Chapter 54: Return

**Here we are at Chapter 54. Let's switch things up a bit. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 54. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 54: Return**

In a vast white expanse, small sparks of fire circle through the air around Velvet Crowe, who sits in a meditative stance with her eyes closed. Taking slow, steady breaths, the small flames circle her head before she breathes out and they stop. The flames stop and then move to fuse into a bigger flame in front of her. As she opens her eyes, a small flame coming from her right eye, the flames in front of her dissipates as she deactivates her Maiden powers. She stands up and looks back to see Summer Rose approach her.

"Well done, Velvet. You have full control of your piece of the Maiden's power," Summer says, hands clasped in front of her.

Velvet raises her right hand and stares at it, "It still feels a little weird, but not as much as before. I guess I should thank you for helping me learn more about it," she says as she turns to fully face her.

"Think nothing of it. I was the one that brought you into all of this. It's the least I can do…I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you by having you come here, Velvet. I truly am," Summer apologizes as she looks down in sorrow.

"Don't be. I'm glad you brought me here," Velvet says, making Summer look up at her to see her smiling. "If you didn't bring me here, I wouldn't have met Ruby. I still don't know if I deserve a second chance, or if I even deserve to be with her, but…I live my life according to my own will. And my will is telling me to go to Ruby," Velvet says.

Summer smiles back, "I'm glad to hear it. I've kept you here long enough, now it is time for you to return to Remnant," she says.

"Do you know where Ruby is exactly?" Velvet asks.

"Not quite, no. I know she is on the continent of Anima, heading for Haven Academy in Mistral. I can get you onto the continent, but you'll have to search for Ruby from that point on. I told you before, I'm not omnipotent," Summer shakes her head.

Velvet sighs, "Well, things have never been easy for me before. Why start now?" she mutters.

"Well, before you go, let's try a little something new," Summer notes.

"What are you talking about?" Velvet asks.

Summer just raises her left hand as a bright light engulfs it and Velvet. Velvet closes her eyes from the light and a moment later, the light dissipates, and Velvet opens her eyes to find herself in some new clothes. She still has on her old choker, gauntlet, and metal boots, as well as her bandages, though now the bandages look newer and properly tied around her arm. A second shin guard has been added on her left leg to match the one on her right leg. Instead of shorts, she is now wearing tight black pants that are still very flexible for her. Over the pants are a pair of black belts wrapped around each of her thighs, and her old chains around her waist, which go with the dark red belt around her waist, with a silver belt buckle. Instead of what she used to wear on her torso, she now has on a strapless red shirt that goes up to cover her chest. Over that, is a black cloak similar to her old one, but for one, it's not torn up. The cloak has red edging, and has strings on the front that crisscross over her shirt. She has a detached sleeve on her right arm that ends up going under her gauntlet. On the back of her waist is a pouch filled with Dust crystals for her claw, and on the sides of her belt are extra clips of rounds for her gauntlet.

"So, what do you think? How does it feel?" Summer asks.

Velvet flexes her limbs and moves around a bit, "Hm, it feels good. I don't feel constricted in any way. I was worried for a second about that," she notes.

"Good. I know how you like to have a full range of motion when you're fighting. I also have one more thing for you, to help you find Ruby," Summer says before raising her left hand, emitting another small bright light.

A moment later, the light dissipates, and in her hand is a red pendant, one that is familiar to Velvet.

"Wait, isn't that-," Velvet begins.

"Yes, I believe this was the first treasure you found when mapping out the world with Eizen's crew. Apparently, this pendant had one secret no one from your world realized, until recently that is. You see, when you wear this, if you focus your heart outward, it will help guide you to what you truly seek. It will begin to glow as you move in the right direction, and it will glow brighter as you get closer," Summer explains.

Velvet takes the pendant and inspects it, "You mean, this thing could help me find Ruby?" she asks.

"Yes, it should be able to," Summer replies.

Though she never did care for jewelry, if it will help her find Ruby, then Velvet was all for it as she puts the pendant on.

"Thanks, but how did you get this?" Velvet asks.

"Why don't you just ask him?" Summer says, nodding her head past Velvet.

Velvet raises an eyebrow in confusion, but then suddenly feels a large presence behind her and turns around to see a giant silver dragon. While normally when she sees a dragon, Velvet would prepare for a fight. However, for some reason, she feels no animosity from it, quite the opposite. She feels at ease being near this creature, almost as if she knew it, even though she has never seen it before.

"It has been a while, Velvet," the dragon speaks, with a very familiar voice.

Velvet's eyes widen and she gasps, "That voice…is that you, Laphicet? She asks.

The dragon nods, "Yes, it is me, though I go by Maotelus now. That was the name Eleanor gave me when we formed a pact. But, I don't mind if you still call me Laphicet. That was the name you gave me after all. Do I frighten you, Velvet?" Laphicet says.

Velvet stays silent for a moment but shakes her head and smiles, "No, you've grown into a strong man, Laphicet. I can see it, but how?" she asks.

Laphicet uses a small amount of his power to create a blue, transparent version of his old form to stand in front of Velvet.

"Shortly after you died, I became a new Empyrean, and mastered my powers of the Silver Flames. I used it to give mankind a second chance at life. It turned demons back into humans, but it can't change their hearts. It only gives them a second chance. I watch over them now, helping them when I can," Laphicet says.

Velvet kneels down to stare him in the eye, "You always were the gallant soul in the group," she says.

Laphicet nods, "Yeah, and I'm keeping my promise to you. I'll help everyone…and I'll LIVE as well," he says, making Velvet smile affectionately at him.

Summer Rose steps forth, "I'm sorry, but we must get going. You still have things to do, Velvet," she says.

Velvet nods her head, but frowns a bit as she looks back to Laphicet, "I got to go. Like you, there's people I need to help too," she says.

"It's okay. I'm just glad I got to see you again, Velvet," he says.

Velvet smiles again and wraps her arms around Laphicet, who returns the embrace, "I'm glad I got to see you as well, Laphicet," she says.

"Take care of yourself, Velvet. I still love you," he says.

"I love you too, Laphicet, but I…" she trails off as she leans back from the embrace.

"It's okay. I'm actually glad you found someone. Now go on, she's waiting for you," Laphicet replies. Velvet nods and stands up, and a moment later, she is engulfed in a white light before she disappears, to return to Remnant. Laphicet then sighs, "Well, we still have work to do as well. So, are you ready?" he asks as he looks behind him.

A second later, footsteps are heard and Laphicet and Summer look to see none other than Pyrrha Nikos approach them.

"I'm sorry that you died, and deserve to rest, but we could use your help. Specifically, Maotelus needs your help," Summer says.

Pyrrhs shakes her head and smiles, "While I would've loved to stay with my friends for a while longer, there's nothing that can be done about it. Besides, I believe in Jaune and the others. I know they'll succeed. So, what do you need my help with?" Pyrrha asks.

"Dark times await mankind in my world, and they'll need people like you to help them. However, if you are to help, you will have to become reincarnated…as a seraphim. Do you wish to continue?' Maotelus asks.

Pyrrha nods, "I wanted to help people as a huntress back in my world. Even I can't help them, I can still help people in your world. Yes, I will become a seraphim," she says.

"Very well," Maotelus says.

The old form of Laphicet merges with his new form, and then Maotelus raises his left hand at Pyrrha. His silver flames spring forth and engulf Pyrrha. However, they don't cause her any pain, but rather they feel like a warm blanket being wrapped around her as her form changes. The flames then change color from silver into the normal colors of flames. A moment later, the flames dissipate, and Pyrrha is no longer a human, but now a seraphim. She now has long silver hair with hints of green and red that is tied back in a high ponytail behind a red and gold headband. She has green eyes and wears a long-sleeved, red, white, black, and lavender dress. She wears red and white heels with ribbons that wrap around her legs. Her shoes and dress are decorated with green gems.

"It is done. With this new form, and new powers, your path to helping the world as a seraphim will now begin. You will meet hardship along the way, and encounter many difficult trials. Do you still wish to continue?" Maotelus asks.

Pyrrha nods, "Yes, I want to help the people. This is my choice, my path, and I will see it through," she says.

"Very well. Thank you for your help, Pyrrha Nikos," Maotelus says.

"Um, perhaps I should go by a different name now. Pyrrha Nikos is my old self. I think it would be more fitting if I have a new name now as well," Pyrrha says.

"…As you wish. What do you wish to call yourself?" Maotelus asks.

Pyrrha thinks for a moment, "How about…Lailah? Yeah, Lailah sounds just right," the newly named Lailah says.

Maotelus and Summer smile at this, "Very well, from this point on you will be Lailah. You will also need a name in the ancient language. Your true name will be…Fethmus Mioma. It means "Lailah the Pure". I think that will go just nicely," Maotelus says.

"Oh, I would be honored to have such a name. Thank you," Lailah bows to them.

"Very well," Maotelus says and looks at Summer. "Thank you for your help thus far, Summer Rose. We will be going now, but I will return when the time comes to bring my former companions back to our world," he says.

Summer nods, "Of course. Thanks again for your help," she says.

Maotelus nods to her and looks back to Lailah, "Now then, let us go, back to OUR world," he says as they are engulfed in a bright light.

Lailah closes her eyes, _"Farewell…Jaune…"_ she thinks before she disappears in the light.

…

Back on Remnant, a bright light appears in a forest, and a moment later that light is replaced by Velvet Crowe in her new attire. Velvet takes a deep breath and looks around, seeing that it is late in the afternoon, seeing a few birds flying by.

 _"Summer says that Ruby is heading for Mistral, on the continent of Anima, and that she could get me onto the continent, but not close to Ruby. Only this pendant would help with that,"_ Velvet thinks before she holds up the pendant in front of her face. "Alright, let's see if this works," she says and moves the pendant, pointing it in different directions. The only problem is…it's not doing anything. "Okay, so maybe it won't go as easily as I thought. Well, no use just standing around here. Better get moving," she says and starts walking off in one random direction.

…

Back at the Xiao Long household, Yang sits on her couch, with Zwei sitting beside her feet, while Eizen leans against the wall on her right, arms crossed.

"So, you're one of Velvet's friends? The one she said was known as the 'Reaper' and fought alongside her back in her world," Yang asks.

"Yeah, I guess she did mention us after all. We go way back," Eizen replies.

"So, if you're here, then that means that Summer Rose sent you here, huh?" Yang says.

"Right again. I'm just here to help out, for a while at least. Specifically, I'm here to help you out, while Velvet is…occupied," Eizen says.

"Wait, you mean you saw Velvet? Is she okay?" Yang asks.

"She's alive, I know that much. Don't worry, if there's one thing I know about Velvet, it's that she doesn't let anything stop her. She'll be back soon enough, and off to find your sister, Ruby. From what Summer Rose told me, they seem to be in a relationship. Heh, even I didn't see that coming," Eizen chuckles.

Yang looks down in melancholy, "Well, I guess that's good at least. But if you're here to help, then you'd be better off helping Ruby or Velvet. I'll be fine," she says with sorrow.

Eizen frowns a bit at her behavior, "Summer Rose also told me a bit about you. About how you always went head-on into battle, letting nothing stop you. An admirable quality, though it can be a double-edged sword when you don't use restraint. As I'm sure you've learned by now," he says as he look at her missing right arm.

Yang turns away from him a bit, "Look, if you came to help me get back in the fight, then you may as well just leave…My fighting days are over," she says sadly.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Eizen replies.

Yang's about to reply until she hears a knock at the door and in walks her father, carrying a few boxes and bags in his arms.

"I'm home," he says, not noticing Eizen because of the boxes blocking his vision.

"Um, Dad-," Yang begins.

"Guess what came in today," he says, looking excited as he walks in and the door closes on its own.

"What?" she asks while he heads into the kitchen to put the bags away.

"I can't wait for you to try this," he replies. He then walks back in, carrying one bag, and then finally notices Eizen, and gets a little suspicious. "Yang, who's this?" he asks, keeping his eyes on Eizen.

"Dad, this is Eizen. Remember my old teammate, Velvet, well he's an old friend of hers before she came to Beacon," Yang introduces him.

"A pleasure," Eizen nods to him.

Though Taiyang is still a little suspicious of him, seeing that Yang is still calm about him eases his worries.

"Well, Velvet is a friend of my daughters. If you're a friend of hers, then you're welcome here, as long as you don't do anything that'll make me think otherwise," he warns him.

Eizen chuckles, "Heh, noted. So, that for Yang, right?" Eizen asks, gesturing to the box in Taiyang's hands.

"Oh yeah, this came in for you Yang. I can't wait for you to try it," he says, and places it on the table in front of her. "Well?" he asks, getting excited.

"It's…for me?" she asks.

"For you and you only," he says. Yang opens the box and inside is a white and silver prosthetic arm that goes up to its mid-forearm. "Brand new, state of the art, Atlas tech. You know, I thought I was going to have to pull some strings, call in a few favors, but you earned this one all on your own kiddo," he says.

"Huh?" she asks, confused.

"Before I could even talk to him, General Ironwood already had one of his top scientists working on this, for you. He wanted me to tell you that you fought admirably. You should be proud of yourself," he praises her. "Well, you gonna try it on?" he asks.

However, Yang's sad demeanor remains the same, "Um, I…" she begins.

"Velvet would want you to get back in the fight. I know she hasn't given up yet, and I'll bet she hasn't given up on you either," Eizen says as he pulls out his coin and flicks it into the air before he catches it. "You shouldn't let anything stop you from walking down the path you choose to go down. Velvet and I are the exact same way," he says.

Yang only looks away, "I'm sorry, but I just don't really feel good right now. Maybe later, Dad?" Yang asks.

Taiyang loses his cheery demeanor a bit, but relent, "Uh, sure. No problem," he says.

Yang gets up and starts walking back up the stairs, "Hey Yang," she hears Eizen call out to her and she looks back. "I've met some people back home that lost the ability to choose their future, and that lost the ability to follow their own creed. You still have that choice. Are you really gonna give up on what you want to do, on following your own creed?" he asks.

Yang thinks on his words, but sighs, "It's…it's not as easy as you think," she says and walks back to her room.

Taiyang slouches in defeat while Eizen narrows his eyes at the stairs Yang walks up on. Taiyang then looks at Eizen.

"So, um, can I get you something to drink? I have a feeling you're gonna be sticking around for a while," Taiyang offers.

"Yes, thank you. I shouldn't be here for too long. I'm just here because Yang is a friend of Velvet's, who's a friend of mine, which makes Yang a friend of mine. And I don't like seeing friends like this," Eizen replies.

Taiyang actually smiles a little at this, "Well, right now, she could use all the help she can get," he says.

…

Meanwhile, back in Anima, Velvet continues walking through the forest, having found a dirt road leading east earlier on. As she walks through the forest, she can feel several pairs of eyes focused on her from the shadows, and rolls her eyes.

"You know, if you want to tail someone, you should really work on making your presence better. Makes it easier. Now come on out!" Velvet calls out.

Just then, several bandits appear from behind some trees and bushes and move to surround her, all wearing ominous smiles on their faces and rifles and swords in their hands. Velvet remains unfazed.

One bandit, a shady man with dirty blonde hair walks up, "Well, well, what's a pretty little thing like you doing out here all by yourself? You know, the forest gets pretty dangerous after dark," he says, chuckling.

"My business. You wouldn't happen to know the way to Mistral would you?" Velvet asks, already knowing she isn't going to get the answer she's looking for.

"Well, I might know where to go, but my memory is a little foggy. Maybe if you…'help' us out, I'll remember exactly where to go," the shady man says as he approaches her.

"Really, and how can I 'help' you?" Velvet asks, knowing what he meant.

The shady man gets in front of her, looking her up and down, "Well, I have one idea-," he says as he reaches for her chest…only for Velvet to suddenly punch him in the face, sending him flying.

The rest of the bandits tense up and aim their weapons at her, but Velvet remains unfazed.

"How about this? How about you tell me where to go…after I kick the crap out of all of you worthless insects," she says, and then activates her arm blade.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. What, you expecting the last member of Velvet's crew to show up in this chapter? No, that's be the next chapter. Anyway, what do you guys think about Velvet's new outfit? Not much thought into it, but I thought it would work. Velvet is back, and Eizen is getting to know Yang. Will Yang put on the arm? How bad will Velvet beat the bandits? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	55. Chapter 55: A Fine Blade

**Here we are at Chapter 55. Time for the final member of Velvet's group to join the stage, along with a few other things to see. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 55. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 55: A Fine Blade**

The forests of Anima are peaceful. Birds chirping in the trees. A steady stream of water nearby while a gentle breeze blows through the air…and one lone bandit sent flying into a tree off to the side. Velvet runs through the three as she fights off several bandits, three of which fire their rifles at her. Velvet eventually moves in, firing off her gauntlet at their rifles, stopping the gunfire. Velvet activates her arm blade and jumps into the air, swinging it down on one bandit and sending them flying. Velvet then activates her foot blades and throws a right side kick at a bandit from her rear it the face, staggering them before she throws a roundhouse kick to their chest. Velvet backflips away as two bandits attack with their swords, evading them. She then deflects both of their blades with her arm blade before she deals three strikes on one with her foot blades, followed by shooting the blade of the second bandit out of their hands, and finishes them off with a few slashes from her arm blade. Velvet runs forth as two bandits fire off their rifles at her again. She runs at one of them, slashing through the bullets and then jumps up into the air, landing on the barrel of the weapon and forcing it onto the ground. The bandit gasps before he gets knocked back by a backflip kick from Velvet. Velvet then activates her demon claw and fires off a fire arte at three bandits as they run at her, sending them all flying in a fiery explosion. The last bandit standing fires off her rifle at Velvet, but Velvet is too quick and speeds around each bullet before she grabs the bandit's head with her claw and smashes them into the ground. Seeing that the bandits are dealt with, Velvet deactivates her demon claw, but then blocks a shot with her arm blade. She looks to see the shady man she punched earlier aiming a pistol at her. The man gets worried and fires at her again, but his pistol jams up. Velvet runs at him, and he swings the blade on his pistol when she gets close, only for her to slide under the attack and roundhouse kick him from behind, causing him to crash into one bandit that was just about to get up, knocking them both down.

Velvet sighs in boredom, "I was really hoping for more than that. And you call yourself 'bandits'? Please…" she notes as she shakes her head.

Velvet begins to walk away, but the shady man gets on his hands and knees.

"Who…Who the Hell are you? It doesn't matter. When Raven finds out what you did, you're dead!" the man threatens her with a smirk.

The name gets her attention as she looks back at him, "Raven? As in Raven Branwen?" she asks as she approaches him.

The shady man laughs, "Hahaha, that's right. Scared now, aren't ya? Well you should…be…" the shady man trails off as Velvet looms over him, unfazed.

Velvet then picks him up by his shirt, holding him in the air by one hand, "I got a better idea. How about you take me to your boss, Raven. I wish to speak with her," Velvet demands.

"W-wait, are you serious? You know she'll kill you, right?!" the man yells.

Velvet drops him, "Oh, I doubt that. She's interested in me, it seems. And I also doubt she'll just kill a close friend of her daughter's, Yang Xiao Long," Velvet says.

At hearing this, the man pales in fear, "I'm dead," he says and pass out.

Velvet groans, "Great. Neither of these guys have any spines in them whatsoever," she mutters.

…

Meanwhile, on a ship heading for Menagerie, Blake Belladonna, in a new outfit and already devoid of her bow, walks across the side of the ship, trying to stay away from the rest of the people on board, wanting to be alone. However, as she walks to the bow of the ship, she sees someone sitting close to the edge. The man is wearing black legwarmers, pale-lilac samurai pants and woven robes. Another layer of a dark purple robe is worn over and tied around his waist. The purple layer of clothing has orange as its inverted color. He is wearing a chest-plate guard and presumably something of the similar sort for his arms, which is finished off by a thick, plated shoulder-guard. He has a strap attached to his torso which he hangs two large greatswords on his back. He is also wearing traditional sandal footwear for that of samurais; with straps and socks. The man has mid-length, spiky and black hair which covers the right portion of his face. His hair is tied into a low-ponytail and each strand of hair flicks out. The man is sitting in a meditative position, with a jug of sake at his side, and a cup in his hands as he drinks. The man then looks to her and smiles.

"Hey there, nice day for a drink don't you think?" the man asks.

Blake glances away, "I…wouldn't know. I'm too young to drink," she replies.

"Aw, that sucks. A friend of mine said the same thing once when I offered her a drink. Heh, it's hard to find a good drinking buddy these days, ain't that right Kurogane?" he says to no one in particular.

Blake's ears perk up and she looks around, but finds no one else around, "Are you okay? There's no one here. Maybe you've had a little too much to drink," she says.

"Oh no, I'm fine. And I was talking to someone," the man says, putting down his cup and pulling out one of his greatswords.

The sword has a long, single-edged blade with a deep red color, followed by mostly black along the center of the blade and tinges of gold. Blake stared at the sword in slight awe. She could see that the sword was just that, a sword. There appeared to be no mechanisms in it for other weapons like hers or her teammates. It looked like an old fashioned sword forged centuries ago. But then again, Yatsuhashi used a greatsword that had no secondary functions to it. While Blake stared at it in awe, it also unnerved her a bit by the coloring of the blade. It gave off an almost demonic presense.

"This here is my partner, Kurogane Stormquell. It was made by a good friend of mine, who was the greatest swordsmith in the world. He made it to defeat another blade, a sword called Stormhowl," the man says as he sheathes his first sword only to pull out his second greatsword, a blade of the same design, but with different materials and colors. "This is Stormhowl," the man says.

At this point, Blake was getting a little more interested. But then one thing confuses her. This man said that he had a friend who wanted to create a blade that could beat one of his swords, so why does he have both?

"Why do you have the blade he wanted to defeat if he created a blade to defeat it?" Blake asks.

The man stares at Stormhowl, "Well…this didn't always belong to me…It used to belong to my older brother…Right before I killed him," the man says.

"WHAT?!" Blake shouts in horror. "You…You killed your own brother, just to get his sword?!" she yells.

"Actually, it's a lot more complicated than that," the man replies, drinking another cup of sake.

Blake then pulls out Gambol Shroud and aims the blade at him, "How can it be complicated to kill your own brother?!" she asks in anger.

The man sighs, "As much as I love a good fight, this will have to wait. But if you're looking for a brawl, then you're in luck. Only you won't be fighting me, you'll be fighting him," the man says, pointing his thumb to his left.

"Huh?" Blake mutters, confused, but then notices something out of the corner of her eye, something big.

They look over to see a giant Grimm Sea Dragon rise up out of the water from the side of the ship. Blake looks on in shock, while the man just smirks before pulling out both of his greatswords.

"This should be fun. This'll be my first fight against a Grimm this big. Though, I've killed plenty of dragons before. You want to help me out?" the man asks Blake.

Blake narrows her eyes at him. While she would never work with someone who killed his own brother, the fact remains that if they don't work together, this dragon will destroy the ship and kill all the passengers, and she couldn't let that happen.

"Fine, I'll help out…for now. But you've got some explaining to do afterwards," Blake says.

"No problem. By the way, my name's Rokurou," Rukurou replies.

"…Blake," Blake replies. _"Rokurou? That name sounds…familiar…"_

The two then run to the side of the ship and jump off of it. Blake uses her semblance to throw herself towards the dragon, while Rokurou starts spinning in the air, swinging his blade around in a wide arc. Blake fires off her pistol at the dragon's head, getting its attention, while Rokurou gets a few swings in on its face. Rokurou lands on its head and jumps off to start running along its back, swinging his blades over and over again as he goes. Blake throws her chain-scythe, with the blade imbedding itself into the hide of the dragon, swinging herself around to get close to its head. The dragon moves around, throwing off her aim, and flexes its tail around to get Rokurou off. The samurai jumps off and stabs his right blade into the dragon's lower tail while Blake manages to land back onto the ship. The dragon swings its tail up, forcing Rokurou to jump high into the air. The dragon then unleashes a lightning breath attack straight at him, but Rokurou manages to spin around the attack as he falls back down. When he gets close, Rokurou swings his blades at the left side of the dragon's head, leaving two long gashes on the side of its face, before he lands next to Blake on the ship.

"Get the cannons ready!" they hear the captain yell out.

Cannons appear along the sides of the ship, followed by a heavy cannon at the bow of the ship. They begin firing at the dragon, but before the heavy cannon is loaded, the dragon sprouts wings from out between the fins on its back, and takes to the air. The heavy cannon fires, but misses as the dragon flies through the air. The dragon turns back to them, charging up its breath attack, but then someone in a brown cloak jumps on Blake before jumping off of her into the air. The person takes off the cloak, revealing themselves to be Sun Wukong, who activates his semblance to create two clones that grab the two long whisker like tendons on the dragon's head, while Sun grabs his head.

"Sun!" Blake yells. "What are you doing?!" she yells.

The dragon starts flying around, and Sun does what he can to hang on, "Oh, you know, just…hanging out!" Sun yells as he rides he dragon.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Rokurou asks.

Blake blushes a little bit at this, "NO! He's not my boyfriend!" she yells.

"Well, whatever, let's help him out," Rokurou says before they see the dragon use its electricity to knock Sun off its head.

Blake jumps up to the top of the ship using her chain-scythe to fling her around and into the air to catch Sun, the two of them landing on a nearby small island, with many more around them.

"My hero," Sun says somewhat dramactically.

"You're not supposed to be here!" Blake retorts, irritated.

"Oh yeah, well it looks like you could use all the help you can get!" Sun counters her.

The two then look up to see the dragon about to attack them again, only for Rokurou to appear and swing his swords at its left arm, slicing it clean off, making it roar in pain and back off.

Rokurou then lands next to them, "If you've got time to talk, you've got time to fight. This isn't the time to be picky about who fights with us!" Rokurou tells them.

"Who's he?" Sun asks.

"Ugh," Blake groans and drops Sun, "Just shut up and fight," Blake says before she and Rokurou run back to face the dragon.

"Yes, mam," Sun replies, still on the ground.

Blake glances at Rokurou and nods to him. Rokurou smirks and puts it swords together before swinging them around. Blake jumps over to him and lands on the flat ends of the blades, allowing Rokurou to swing her high into the air above the dragon. Blake falls down, using her semblance to swing her down as the dragon tries to eat her, only for her to narrowly avoid its jaws and land a few swings along the side of its face. Blake lands on the bow of the ship, and looks up to see the dragon fire off another breath attack at her. She prepares to block it, only for Sun to appear in front of her to block it. However, Rokurou suddenly lands in front of them and swings his swords downwards, slicing through the attack in two and making it hit the water on the sides of the ship.

"Aw, he stole my moment!" Sun groans, making Rokurou smirk.

Rokurou looks back up to the dragon, "We need to ground this overgrown sea snake. Hey kid, can you give us a lift?" he asks as he looks back to Sun.

"You got it!" Sun replies.

"Blake, I'll take out one wing, you take out the other, got it?" Rokurou asks Blake.

Blake nods. Sun then jumps up and creates three clones. Rokurou and Blake spring board off the first one, then use the other two to jump high into the air. Sun waits for them, but gets worried when he sees both of them flying at him. They both bounce off of him and fly down in different directions. The dragon fires off a series of breath attacks, but while Blake spins around each one, Rokurou slices through them with his blades. When they get close, Blake uses her katana to slice through the flesh of the left wing, while Rokurou goes for the limb and slices the wing clear off. The two fall down, with Rokurou landing on his feet, while Sun catches Blake in a bridal carry.

"…This is the part where you say it!" he tells her, making Blake groan in annoyance.

The rock island they're one starts shaking and they see the dragon attacking it. The three start jumping off island after island as the dragon chases them up and down through the water, crashing into each island they land on. At one point, the dragon swings its tail around at Rokurou, but he lands his feet on it and jumps high into the air. Blake fires some shots at it, getting its attention, and jumps away as it tries to eat her again. Sun moves in to help, but the dragon turns to him, and is about to chomp him down, only for Blake to swing thanks to her chain scythe, and grab him to safety. The two land on one rock island, just as the dragon gets ready to attack them again. However, Rokurou suddenly swoops in and swings his swords at its unguarded neck, beheading the beast, and landing in front of them while the dead Grimm's body falls into the ocean. The people on the ship nearby cheer for victory now that they're safe.

Rokurou sheathes his swords, "Well, that was a nice workout. Though I'd hope it would've put up at least a little more of a fight," he says, smirking.

"Whoa, who is this guy?" Sun asks.

Blake just stares at Rokurou, _"He decapitated a Grimm of that size with just one swing of his sword. He must be a skilled and experienced huntsman to have pulled that off with just a pair of regular swords. Who is he?"_ she wonders.

Rokurou turns to them, "Well, that was fun, but I think it's time we properly introduced ourselves, starting with you, monkey boy," he says.

"Huh? Oh, well, I'm Sun Wukong. A friend of Blake's here. Nice to meet ya," Sun says, making Blake glare at him.

"Excellent. I'm Rokurou, a pleasure. I already know Blake here. Truth be told, I knew about her long before I met her," Rokurou says.

Blake and Sun get defensive at this, "What are you talking about? What do you mean, you already knew me?" Blake asks, slowly readying her weapon. Just then, a cool breeze blows by, moving Rokurou's hair and revealing the right side of his face, the side with the demon eye and skin, which shocks them. "What…What are you?" Blake asks as she aims her pistol at Rokurou.

"Oh, that, well, I used to be human…But I'm a demon now," Rokurou says as he gets more serious.

"Wait, what?!" Sun yells.

Rokurou scratches his chin, "Hmm, I'd figured you'd be more used to this now, considering you were one of Velvet's teammates," he says to Blake.

"Velvet?" Blake mutters, but then her eyes widen as she thinks back to what Velvet once told her. _"First, I met this samurai as he likes to call himself named Rokurou. He was a guy that liked making chaos and getting into fights, but he knew how to keep his blades sheathed when he needed to,"_ Velvet's words echoed in her mind. Blake looks back to Rokurou, "You're one of Velvet's old companions, Rokurou, the samurai," she says. _"But then that means that he came here from Velvet's world. But why?"_

Rokurou smiles, "Hah, so you talked about me. That's nice to hear. But, yeah, Velvet and I are old friends. I was surprised to learn about what she's been doing since I last saw her, but then again, she always did make things interesting," he notes.

"Wait, this guy knows your old teammate, Velvet? Then why is he supposed to be a demon?" Sun asks.

Blake sighs, "It's a long story. Listen, Rokurou, I don't know if you know this, but Velvet is…" Blake trails off as she thinks to when Velvet 'disappeared'.

Rokurou holds up his hand, "Oh, don't worry about Velvet. I saw her before I came here. She's fine," he says.

Blake's eyes widen, "What?! How?! Where?!" Blake yells as she steps up to him.

Rokurou runs his head, "Ah, I'm afraid it's a little hard to explain. I'll explain later, but for now…" he trails off as they see the ship move closer to pick them up.

…

Back in Anima, Raven Branwen is in her tent at the Branwen bandit tribe encampment, sharpening her sword. A moment later, her subordinate, Vernal, steps inside.

"Um, Raven?" Vernal asks.

"What is it?" Raven asks without looking back.

"We have a visitor," Vernal says.

Raven glances back at her, "Who?" she asks.

A second later, one of her bandits gets sent flying through her tent, going in one exit and out the other in the back without a loud crash. The two women look at each other before Raven stand up and puts her mask on. The two walk out of her tent, only to find Velvet Crowe standing in the center of the camp, with several bandits on the ground around her, beaten, bruised, and unconscious. Velvet narrows her eyes at Raven.

"Raven Branwen…We need to talk," Velvet says.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. And now Rokorou has joined the fun, going with Blake, while Velvet meets Raven once again. Things should get dicey between those two. Now with all the current players in the game, who knows what'll happen next? Will Blake be able to trust Rokurou? How will Velvet's meeting with Raven end? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	56. Chapter 56: Reason to Fight

**Here we are at Chapter 56. I wanted to do this before I work on my other stories, so here we are. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 56. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 56: Reason to Fight**

It is late at night as the ship Blake is on continues on its trek to Menagerie. Right now, Blake, Sun, and Rokurou are on one of the side of the ship, looking out into the expansive ocean. Sun and Blake are contemplating a few things, things from what Rokurou has explained to them about himself, and about Velvet.

"So, Velvet was once human, but is now a demon, like you?" Sun asks.

Rokurou drinks a cup of sake, "Yep. We were both imprisoned on the same island and she helped me find my partner, so I owed her a great debt. One that I intend to repay. So we started working together. Originally I helped her because of my debt, but when I found out that my older brother, Shigure, was working with Artorius, the man she wanted to kill, I then had another reason to help her," Rokurou explains.

"Your brother, Shigure…You said you killed him. What I don't understand is why? Yes, he may have been your enemy, but was that really enough reason to kill him?!" Blake asks.

Rokurou just stares at her, "If I didn't kill him, he would've killed my friends. You expect me to just stand by and let that happen?" he calmly retorts.

"N-No, but-," Blake begins.

"I had to kill him, not just because of that, but because that is how our family works. To rise in succession in our family, to become the new head of the family, one must kill the current head. After I became a demon though, I no longer had the right to become the head of the Rangetsu family. I was following my family's tradition. I don't expect you to understand. This happened a long time ago, in my world, not yours, so it doesn't really concern you. After I defeated Shigure, he told me to take his sword, to put it to good use. I carry my brother's will on my back, so that one day I may be truly worthy of wielding both Stormhowl, and Kurogane Stormquell. That's just the kind of guy I am. I live my life according to my beliefs, to my creed," Rokurou says, quoting his friend, Eizen.

Blake looks away, thinking on his words, but then Sun speaks up again.

"Yeah, that's another thing, one that I'm having a hard time swallowing. How can you be from another world? That's just…impossible," he says.

"It's true, Sun. Velvet is from another world, and he's from her world. I believe her. But still, why would you be here?" Blake asks.

"I'm here because Summer Rose and Laphicet asked me to help you guys out. Velvet has some things to take care of before she can come back, so I and the rest of our merry band have shown up to take her place for the time being. They're off helping the rest of your teammates," Rokurou says.

"My teammates…" Blake mutters.

"Which reminds me, why did you leave your teammates? Velvet and the others could really use your help right now," Rokurou asks.

Blake holds her arms, "I…I can't. It's complicated," she replies dismissively.

"But why not? They're your friends, Blake," Sun adds.

"Like you're one to talk, unless the rest of your teammates are down below the ship," Blake retorts.

"Pfft, you think I could get Neptune on a ship. They flew back to Mistral. I told them I'd catch up. Not the first time I ditched them to take a boat! Besides, I've never been to Menagerie before. You're going there to stop the White Fang white?" Sun asks.

"NO! I'm not going anywhere near the White Fang. Not now anyway. I'm going home to Menagerie to figure things out," Blake replies.

Sun frowns a bit at her, but then make a decision, "Well, then I'm coming with you. Just because you're not going after the White Fang, doesn't mean that they won't come after you. And besides…I'm already on the ship," he says.

Blake sighs, knowing she can't stop him, and turns to Rokurou, "I still don't know what to think about you, but if Velvet trusts you, then that's good enough for me for now," she says.

Rokurou smirks, "No problem. You couldn't get away from me even if you tried anyway. Alright then, next stop, Menagerie," he says as they look out into the night sky.

…

At Raven's bandit tribe camp, Raven sits at her table in her tent, with Velvet Crowe sitting across from her, and Vernal pouring them some tea.

"You can wait outside. Thank you," Raven says to Vernal, who nods and then leaves. Raven takes her cup, and sips her tea. "…So, have you finally decided to accept my offer to join me?" Raven asks, smirking.

"…You can take your offer and shove it, I believe I made that clear the last time we talked. Which wasn't long before Beacon was attacked. I'm only here for one reason and one reason only," Velvet retorts.

"And that would be?" Raven asks, frowning.

"Ruby Rose. I know she's heading for Mistral. And you're going to help me find her," Velvet replies.

Raven grunts in amusement, "And why would I do that? What's in it for me?" Raven asks, smirking.

"What's in it for you is that I don't kill you," Velvet says, sparks of her Maiden power appearing in her right eye.

This gains Raven's interest, "You've become the Fall Maiden," she realizes.

Velvet shakes her head, "No, I only have a piece of it. But I will gain the rest when I kill Cinder Fall, and make her pay for what she's done. I figured you'd know about the Maidens," she says.

"And what would make you think that?" Raven asks.

"Because your brother knew about them. Wasn't that hard to put the rest together," Velvet says.

"Well, now that you know, why? Why would you help Ozpin and Qrow? I told you Beacon would fall, and it did. I told you Ozpin would fail, and he has. You have no idea what's going on here," Raven says.

Velvet leans closer, "Then enlighten me," she says.

Raven sighs and stands up, walking to the map at the back of her tent, "The truth…is that the Creatures of Grimm have a master named Salem," Raven says, stunning Velvet. "Ozpin has been fighting against her for a long time, and has never been able to beat her. He recruited my team to help, Team STRQ," she says.

 _"So that means that Summer knows as well,"_ Velvet thinks.

"The more I saw, the more I learned, the more terrifying the world became. So I left, because I'm smart. I knew we couldn't defeat Salem. I left because I had to do what I had to do to survive," Raven says as she turns back to Velvet.

Velvet frowns at this, "You left just to survive? What about your teammates? What about your daughter?!" she yells as she stands up.

"I have a duty to protect my tribe. They are my family-," Raven retorts.

"And Yang isn't?!" Velvet yells again.

Just then, she hears a weapon cocked behind her and glances back to see Vernal aiming one of her guns at her.

"You need to calm down," Vernal warns her.

Velvet glares back at Raven, "Unless you want me to put down your little guard dog here, I suggest you tell her to leave," she warns her as her powers activate.

Raven narrows her eyes, "Vernal, leave us…I'll be fine," she orders her. Vernal hesitates a moment, but leaves, and Velvet deactivates her powers. "Yang is my daughter. She'll survive. If she wants to find me, then she'll come find me herself. And if she wants me to be a part of her life again, then the best way to do that would be to join my tribe. Only then can I protect her," Raven says.

"Like Hell she would ever join a group of killers and thieves," Velvet counters.

"Perhaps, but…you're not exactly innocent, aren't you," Raven says, making velvet lose a little of her previous steel. "You've harmed innocent people, I can tell. You did what you had to do to survive and to get what you want. There's no shame in that. Why pretend to be something you're not? You don't belong with those fools who work for Ozpin. You're not a huntress, you're a survivor. Why continue this pointless endeavor? We can't stop Salem, no one can. I realized that, and so I left in order to survive. There is no reason for you to throw your life away for no reason at all. The only person you can rely on is yourself," Raven says.

Velvet closes her eyes, and her right fist shakes, "…You're right," she says, making Raven smile. "My heart is ugly. I've killed plenty of innocent people. I ruined towns just to get what I wanted. I used others like tools. My body is full sins, that no matter what I do, I'll never be forgiven. I'll burn in Hell for all that I've done when the time comes…" she says, making Raven smile a little more, "…But, you're wrong about something else," Velvet says, making Raven lose that smile. "I DO have a reason to fight. Not for Ozpin, not for his people. For Ruby. I know she'll fight for the innocent. And I know she'll never give up. I told her about my past. About everything I've done, and yet…" Velvet holds the pendant around her neck. "…She opened her arms and her heart to me. The person people called the 'Lord of Calamity'. She saw whatever good there was left in me, and helped me find it in myself. She found it in herself to care about someone who doesn't deserve it. Ruby gave me my second chance in life, even if I don't deserve it. She is my reason for fighting, Raven Branwen. You want me to become like you, a coward that runs and abandons her family because she's afraid of dying? Well, you can forget it. I came to you because I thought you could help me find Ruby, that maybe there was still some tiny piece of goodness in you. Ruby may not be your family, but she is your daughter's…But it looks like I was wrong," she says and turns to leave.

Raven holds the handle of her sword, "And where do you think you're going?" she says.

"I'm going to find Ruby, with or without your help. And you can't stop me," Velvet says.

Raven then draws her sword, "And what makes you think I would just let you leave?" Raven asks.

Velvet glances back at her, "…I almost forgot. Summer Rose sends her regards…" she says.

Raven widens her eyes, "Wh-What?" she asks, stunned.

Velvet makes no response and walks out of the tent. When she comes out, she sees all the bandits in the camp in front of her, barring her from leaving. Velvet steps down the stairs and activates her demon claw, scarring most of them. Raven then comes out.

"Let her go. She's done here. Try and get in her way, and you'll only get yourselves killed," Raven commands them as she sheathes her sword.

Velvet looks back at her and then moves on ahead. The bandits keep their distance, but all remain defensive until Velvet leaves through the front gates of the camp.

Raven watches her go, _"Summer…But that's impossible. Summer Rose is supposed to be dead…Velvet Crowe, just who the Hell are you?"_ she wonders.

Velvet walks away from the camp and looks around, but then, the pendant around her neck starts to glow a faint red. Velvet pulls it up and points it in different directions, but notices how it starts to glow a little brighter as she points it northeast.

"Ruby…" Velvet mutters before she starts running off in that direction.

Meanwhile, Raven walks back into her tent, sitting on her bed with a heavy sigh. A moment later, Vernal walks in.

"Are you sure that it was okay to let her go?" she asks.

"No, of course not. But if a fight breaks out in the camp, then Grimm will be all over this place in a heartbeat. I tried to warn her. She made her choice. I'm sure we'll see her again soon enough. And when that time comes, if she still won't listen, then we'll deal with her. We have to do whatever it takes for the tribe," Raven says.

…

Meanwhile, at the Schnee Manor, Weiss Schnee is sitting down at the table in her room, drinking a cup of tea, with Eleanor sitting across from her, having some tea as well. Though Klein was a little confused when Weiss asked for two cups, Weiss managed to convince him to let it go without revealing to him her 'guest'.

"I must admit, you're tea here is quite good," Eleanor notes as she rests her cup on the table.

"Thank you. It helps when I practice my singing to soothe my vocal cords. I need my voice to be at its best," Weiss notes, but then frowns and looks away. "Otherwise, Father will be upset with me," she mutters.

Eleanor shows a concerned expression, "You know could always leave," she suggests.

Weiss looks back at her, flabbergasted, "Are you serious? It's not that simple. I can't just leave and do what I want," she retorts.

"Why not?" Eleanor calmly asks.

"Well…Father would never let me go. And the staff here obey him more than they do me," she notes.

"From what I've seen, that Klein seems to be more concerned with your well-being rather than your father's. As for the first one, just because you're father wants you to stay trapped here, that's enough reason for you not to go?" she asks.

"Well…I…" Weis trails off.

"What about Yang?" Eleanor asks.

"Huh?" Weiss raises an eyebrow.

"Yang is someone you care deeply about, right? Wouldn't you want to go see her again? I'm sure that deep down she would be happy to see you again. Pardon me, but I know you two are close," Eleanor asks.

Weiss looks down, deep in thought, "I…I want to go see her, but that's just not possible," she replies.

"And why not?" Eleanor asks.

"Because I'm here in Atlas, and my father-," Weiss begins before a sudden gust of wind blows around in the room. Weiss attempts to hold down her skirt and her hair while closing her eyes, while Eleanor just holds down her skirt, but remains calm all the same. A moment later, the wind stops. "What was that about? Did you cause that sudden burst of wind?!" Weiss accuses Eleanor.

Eleanor scratches her cheek, "Well, not exactly," she replies.

"Oh, for crying out loud, are you an idiot? 'Father this, Father that'. You make it sound like it's against the law to disobey him. It's starting to piss me off," a sudden male voice rings out.

"Huh?" Weiss exclaims and looks around, only to suddenly find a man leaning against the bookcases in her room.

The man appears to be much older than them, with shoulder-length white hair with green tips, tied into a small ponytail. He is wearing black pants with an orange belt, and knee-high brown boots that look like they belong to someone who sails a lot. He is wearing an open brown jacket, showing some-what tanned skin and white tattoo lines across his chest. He has on a pair of brown gloves on his hands and white padding on his thighs, and an ornate necklace around his neck.

"Hey there, Ice Queen," the man says with a mock salute and a wink at her.

"Huh, who are you?...Wait, what did you just call me?!" Weiss says, getting annoyed already.

Eleanor rests her head in her right hand and sighs, "Zaveid, you really need to learn a thing or two about subtlety," she notes. "Weiss, meet the Malak, Zaveid. He's an old friend who was also summoned by Summer Rose, and has agreed to a pact with me for the time being. Don't mind him much though, he's an idiot," she says.

"Sheesh, I can't catch a break with any women, even in another world," Zaveid jokes in mock hurt as he walks to them.

"A Malak? Like those people that are kind of like spiritual beings from you're world?" Weiss asks as she calms down.

"You guessed it, although I'm a whole lot better looking than the rest of my kind. I must admit, even I another world, the women here are quite a sight to see," Zaveid notes.

Weiss gags, "Ugh, keep your distance, you perverted brute!" she shoots him down.

Eleanor shakes her head in shame, _"I can't believe I made a pact with this womanizer. Oh, I wish it could've have been Laphicet, or even Eizen. Why me?"_ she mentally groans. "Zaveid, I know you've been listening in on our conversations. She has no romantic interest in men, and even if she did, I sincerely doubt it would be with you," she says.

Zaveid eases up, "Don't worry, I know when a lady is off limits. I was having a little bit of fun. This Yang girl must be one helluva of woman to have snagged this white haired beauty," he jokes.

"Wait, you've been listening in on our conversations? Have you no shame, you barbarian," Weiss says.

"When Zaveid is not out in the open, he resides within me. That's how Malakhim can move around when they make a pact with someone. It also helps them conserve energy. As for the pact maker, it grants me the use of spirit artes. Think of them like spells of sorts. Zaveid here is a wind Malak, which allows him to control the wind. That's how I stopped your attack during our sparring match, thanks to him. While he dwells within me, he can see and hear what I see and hear. So yes, he has been listening in on our conversations. Don't worry, I'll keep him under a tight leash," Eleanor explains.

"What am I, a dog?" Zaveid deadpans.

"Ugh, to think this brute was spying on us? How revolting," Weiss notes.

"Anyway, let's get back on topic. Why do you keep making it sound like your father decides what you do with your life?" Zaveid asks, getting more serious.

"It's not that simple. It's not like I want to stay here. Beacon felt more like a home than this place ever did. But I can't just up and walk out the front door. My father is a powerful man. There's no way I'd be able to leave," Weiss says.

"So? Was it his decision for you to become a huntress, or your own?" Zaveid asks.

"What? It, it was mine," Weiss replies.

"Good, then that's one sign that he doesn't control your life. Look at me, I go wherever the winds take me, but I never let them control me. I control the wind. I live my life according to my own creed, and no one can take that away from me. Don't you have a creed of your own? People you want to be there for?" Zaveid asks.

Weiss glances down as she thinks upon his words, but then Eleanor gets her attention.

"Weiss, I told you before, your will is your own. If you want to stay, then you can stay…But if you want to leave, then we'll help you," Eleanor says.

Weiss looks up at them, "But…how?" she asks.

Eleanor and Zaveid just smile.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. That's right, baby! Zaveid is in the house! Velvet has a heated debate with Raven, Blake speaks with Rokurou, and Weiss meets Zaveid. Things will be getting interesting soon enough. Will Velvet find Ruby? Will Weiss leave her home? What awaits our heroes in the future? Until then, please Read and Review.**

 **P.S. I've been working on another story for when I get to a point that this one will have to go on a temporary hiatus. This story will be a Tales of Berseria x Gundam Build Fighters crossover, with the characters of Berseria taking the place of those from GBF, but with elements of both stories fused together. I already know what gunpla the characters will use for the most part, but I would like some ideas from you guys before I begin writing it. Here is what I would like from you guys if possible:**

 **Gunpla ideas for Oscar and Teresa, Melchior, and Shigure (I already have one for Artorius and Velvet's crew). What elements of the two stories would go well together for this crossover? And any other ideas you guys have in mind. Tell me what you think.**


	57. Chapter 57: Sisters

**Here we are at Chapter 57. Now then, time for some bonding time between some members of Team RVWBY and Velvet's crew. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 57. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 57: Sisters**

At the Xiao Long household late at night, Taiyang and Eizen sit at the kitchen table, having some tea and making some conversation.

"I'm surprised that Velvet is friends with someone like you," Taiyang notes, sipping his tea.

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I'm old?" Eizen retorts.

"No…not exactly, more like…Older. I pretty sure you're a little younger than me," Taiyang corrects him.

Eizen raises an eyebrow, _"If only you knew,"_ he thinks. "So…Yang still hasn't put the arm on yet?" he asks, drinking his tea.

Taiyang sighs, "No…I was hoping that the prosthetic arm would help get her spirits back. Now, I'm not quite sure what to do. I can see that she's still struggling with her trauma from Beacon, but I thought it best to give her a little space. Let her take it at her own pace, even if that pace is a really slow one," he says in melancholy.

"Hmmm, Yang's been a fighter pretty much all her life. She's fought against Grimm and other opponents. She's had to do the dance with death plenty of times, I'm sure. However, this is the first time that death has come so close to taking her. Even for warriors, the first close call with death leaves more than just physical scars. It's the emotional scars that take the longest to heal. I've dealt with it, my comrades have dealt with it. All warriors have to deal with it. There's no escaping from it…from the Reaper," Eizen notes as he takes out his coin and flips it in the air before catching it, once again landing on tails.

Taiyang is about to reply before they hear a knock at the door. He goes to the front door and opens it, revealing Professor Port and Dr. Oobleck standing outside.

"Good evening Taiyang, it has been so long," Port greets him.

"Yes, yes, it is good to see an old student from Beacon. How have you been?" Oobleck adds.

Taiyang smiles a little bit, "It's good to see you guys too. Come on in, I'll make you some drinks," he welcomes them and they follow him to the kitchen to meet Eizen.

"It seems we're not the only surprise guests here. May I ask your name?" Port asks.

Eizen nods to him, "Eizen. I'm a friend of Velvet Crowe's. I heard she was a student at Beacon…Still sounds weird saying that, even now," he mutters the last part.

"Really? Velvet never really told us about her old friends. I just assumed that her only friends were all from Beacon," Port says as he and Oobleck sit down with Eizen.

"She wasn't always at Beacon. Well since you're here, I gotta ask…What was Velvet like at school?" Eizen asks.

Port chuckles, "Oh ho, you'll really need to pay attention to this one. You're gonna love this," Port says as he begins his stories (thankfully about Velvet, not himself).

…

In Atlas, Weiss looks out the window as the shattered moon is high in the sky. She looks over to her desk, finding a case on it. Opening it, she finds her rapier, Myrtenaster, inside, along with several cases of Dust.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she hears behind her and looks back to see Eleanor and Zaveid standing by her door.

"Honestly, no I'm not…But I can't stand to be in this prison any longer. I can't stand being away from my friends any longer…I can't stay away from Yang any longer. I know she'll be angry with me when I see her again, and rightfully so. But, I need to atone for my mistake, for leaving her because I was scared. I am done with letting my father control my life," she says and closes her case. "I guess I should thank you…for making me realize what an idiot I was," she says.

"No sweat, just make it up to me by making it up to your girlfriend. That's how you can repay me," Zaveid jokes.

"Anyway, let's get going. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can find an airship to take us to Vale. Then it's off to Patch," Eleanor says.

Weiss nods and Zaveid returns to Eleanor's body. The two slowly walk out of Weiss' room, keeping an eye out for anyone that might spot them. They move through the halls of the manor, with Zaveid using his wind to widen their expanse by giving them a heads up if someone is nearby. Moving through the halls, they avoid a few staff members that get easily distracted by a sudden breeze from Zaveid. At one point, Weiss glances out one of the windows, and notices Ironwood exiting out the main entrance.

"Who's that?" Eleanor asks.

"General Ironwood, the headmaster of Atlas Academy, and commander of the Atlas military. He and my father are friends, though that friendship has quickly soured as of late. We can't let him spot us. Let's go," Weiss replies.

They continue to make their way through the building, eventually finding themselves in the library. Weiss starts looking around the shelves for something.

"If I recall correctly, there was a secret passageway built into this place in case we ever had to use it. Oh, but I can't quite remember how to open it exactly," Weiss lowly laments.

Just then, one of the bookshelves suddenly opens up, revealing a stone staircase inside, along with Weiss' butler, Klein.

"Perhaps, I can help, Miss Schnee," Klein says as he steps inside.

"Klein! What are you doing here?!" Weis quietly shouts.

"Zaveid, you were supposed to keep an eye out for anyone nearby!" Eleanor berates her partner.

"Hey, don't blame me. I couldn't sense his presence. How did he do that? And plus, he was hidden behind a wall that my winds couldn't get into. It's not my fault," Zaveid retorts.

"Klein, please, you can't tell me father," Weiss starts to freak out.

"It's okay, Miss Schnee. I'm here to help," Klein replies.

"You…You are?" Weiss asks, confused.

"My apologies, but I may have overheard a conversation or two between you and your new friend her. I knew were trying to escape, so I decided I'd help out," Klein calms her down.

"But…what about my father. If he finds out…" Weiss begins.

"It is my duty as your butler to assist you however I can. I practically raised you while your father was off doing his business. I could see that being caged in this place was destroying you, and that, I could not allow. While I have no idea who you're little friend is here, I can see that you aren't defensive with her and trust her, and that's good enough for me. Miss Schnee needs goods friends by her side, now more than ever," Klein explains. Weiss tears up a little bit and drops her stuff to hug him, which he returns in kind. "But, where are you planning on going again?" he asks as they separate.

"Patch, near Vale. Someone I…care about very much is there, waiting for me," Weiss replies.

"Then you'd best get on your way. Your father will not like this very much, and he may very well remove your inheritance to the company and give it to Whitley. Are you sure?" Klein asks.

"I swore that I would restore and uphold the honor of the Schnee name, but I can't do that by sitting locked up in a cage like my father wants. I'll do it…as a huntress," Weiss replies.

"…I supposed you won't have much family around here after this," Klein notes.

Weiss places a hand on his shoulder, "I'll always have you," she says.

Klein smiles, "You most certainly will," he says and they share one more embrace before letting go. "Go on, best that you get a move on. I'll cover your tracks here. Good luck," he says.

Weiss and Eleanor move into the secret passageway and watch as Klein closes the door. Moving through the hidden route, they eventually come out of a secret exit on the side of the house. Using the foliage and trees for cover, they make their way further and further from the manor, making sure that they aren't being followed along the way. Reaching the outer gate of the estate, Weiss conjures some glyphs to help them jump over it and finally getting out of this makeshift prison. However, as they get further away from the manor and make their way to the city, they come into an unexpected roadblock.

"Now, what do we have here?" they hear and look off to the side to see General Ironwood, magnum out and aimed at Eleanor. "You wouldn't be trying to kidnap the heiress to the SDC, now would you?" he asks calmly.

Eleanor prepares to defend Weiss, but Weiss stands in front of her, "Weiss, what are you," she begins.

"General Ironwood, this is not a kidnapping. More like…a rescue," Weiss says.

"Miss Schnee, care to explain?" Ironwood asks, a little perplexed.

"I'm leaving my home, and I've leaving Atlas. I'm going back to Vale, back to my teammates. This woman here is an old friend of my teammate, Velvet, and she's here to help me get out of here," Weiss replies.

Seeing that Weiss doesn't appear to be in any danger, Ironwood lowers his weapon, but still remains apprehensive, "Miss Schnee, are you sure you want to do this? Beacon is gone, and who knows what happened to your teammates since it fell. More importantly, you're the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. Your father would not approve of this. You need to worry about your safety. You'll be safe here in Atlas," Ironwood tries to convince her.

"I'm not safe here, General. I've never been safe here. This place isn't my home, it never was. And as for my inheritance, I'm pretty sure that's gone now, but I can't let that stop me. And why should I just focus on my own safety? I became a huntress to protect the people. Their safety always comes before mine, and my teammate's wellbeing comes before mine," Weiss retorts.

"Miss Schnee, if you still want to become a huntress, then why not apply to Atlas Academy? You can finish your training there, like your sister," Ironwood offers.

Weiss softens a bit, "General…I appreciate the offer…but the only academy I will ever go to is Beacon. Since going there, I've learned that a lot of the things that I previously believed in were wrong. That I shouldn't rely on my last name anymore when it comes down to the most important stuff. I saw things that I could never see in Atlas. When I came back, the people here irritate me to no end, and it disgusts me that I used to be one of those people. I won't go back to being like that ever again…But most of all, I found people in Beacon that treated me like family more than my real one ever did, aside from my sister. I'm going to Vale because the people I care about need me, and because I am done being my father's puppet. And you can't stop me," Weiss replies, showing a determined expression.

Ironwood is a little surprised by her words, and after looking her in the eye, and seeing that no words from him will convince her otherwise, he relents, and holsters his weapon.

"I see I can't convince you. However, if you're plan is to get to Vale as soon as possible, you'll need some help with that," Ironwood says.

"Huh?" Eleanor and Weiss ask.

"I'll provide you with an airship to Vale. With my go ahead on it, you'll reach your destination much sooner than if you stowed away on one, and I highly doubt either of you know how to pilot an airship, correct?" Ironwood answers back.

Weiss and Eleanor are shocked by this, "But, why would you help us?" Eleanor asks.

"Call it a way of paying your sister back for her exemplary service to the kingdom. Right now, Winter is in Mistral, but I'm planning on recalling all my forces back to the kingdom soon and then I'm closing Atlas' borders. If you're gonna leave, it has to be now. Now then, we should get going before your father realizes you're gone," Ironwood says before he starts walking away.

Weiss and Eleanor glance at each other for a moment before deciding to follow the General. At least now they won't have to worry about finding a ship to take them to Vale.

…

Yang wakes up late at night after having another nightmare of when she lost her arm to Adam Taurus. She sits up and looks out the window before turning to her new arm, still sitting on her desk. However, she hears some noise downstairs and walks out with her jacket on and eventually finds her dad and Eizen talking with her old teachers, Port and Oobleck, in the kitchen. And from the laughing they were doing, it sounded like quite the conversation.

"Wait, wait, wait, are you telling me that Velvet actually wore a dress and went to a dance like a normal girl?" Eizen asks before he starts laughing again.

"Yes, I must admit it was quite a surprise given her personality, but she did it anyway. I believe it was for young Miss Rose. They were always close back at Beacon," Oobleck replies.

"Haha, I'd pay good money to see that. And if Magilou saw that, she'd never let Velvet live it down. I still find it hard to believe sometimes that she actually went to school. She knew a lot before that, but she was never a model student," Eizen notes, sipping his drink.

Just then, they all notice Yang leaning against the doorway, "Ah, Miss Xiao Long, come in. Come in. You must join us," Port greets her as the two teachers stand up.

"Yes, yes, sit down. We've been telling some interesting stories about our days back at Beacon. You must join us," Oobleck adds.

Yang walks in and sits on the counter next to Taiyang, "…So, what are you doing here?" Yang asks her teachers.

The two sit down, "Despite popular belief, teachers DO have a life outside the classroom," Oobleck replies.

"Professor Goodwitch is working around the clock to restore Beacon to its former glory. But, Mistral wasn't built in a day. And we all need some rest from time to time. Plus, it is actually a treat to meet one of Miss Crowe's old friends from her home. We've been going over stories about her with each other," Port adds.

"I'm not sure Velvet would like that," Yang notes.

"Of course she won't, that's the point. Besides, if she finds out, I'll deal with her," Eizen notes.

"Yes, Miss Crowe was certainly a…unique student back at Beacon. Reminds me of when the Branwen twins were still students there years ago. They were rather…interesting to say the least," Oobleck notes.

"That sure didn't seem to stop young Tai," Port says, making the two teachers laugh at his expense.

Taiyang loses some of his humor, "Hey, come on man, she's right here," he says, gesturing to Yang, who gets a little offended.

"Oh please, she's a mature young woman. If she can handle combat, she can handle a few jabs at her old man," Port replies in a joking tone.

"That's not the issue, Pete. And besides, she's still a teenager," Taiyang says.

"SHE is also in the room, and can be directly spoken too," she says before getting off the counter top. "And I think I've been through enough to be an adult at this point," she retorts, hand on her hip.

Taiyang sighs, "Adult or not, you've still gotta a long way to go before you're ready for the real world," he says.

"Oh my Gosh, does EVERY father figure just have the same three condescending phrases?" she says, getting irritated.

"YEAH! But we only use them when we mean it!" he says, getting angry, as does Yang.

"Is that so?" she says, gritting her teeth while the three onlookers look at each other with worry.

"As a matter of FACT, it IS so!" Taiyang replies, making Oobleck drink his cup, Port loosen his collar, and Eizen watching with some interest. "If you honestly think you're ready to go out there on your own, hah, then I guess you lost some brain cells along with that arm," he says, pointing at his head.

This makes Yang gasp, and the others look wide-eyed while Oobleck drops his drink, but then…

"You JERK," Yang jokes as she playfully punches him in the arm, the two laughing together.

Seeing that everything is okay, the rest of the group calm down before the Xiao Longs stop laughing.

"Yang…with that out of the way. Tell us…why haven't you put the arm on yet?" Eizen asks, getting serious.

"Oh, yes, yes! A piece of Atlas technology being given out like that is rare indeed, not to mention the effort it took into delivering it here. It seems a great many people want to see you return to normal," Oobleck says.

Yang looks away, sad, "I'm…scared. Everyone talks about me getting back to normal, and I appreciate it. But…THIS…is normal now," she says, gesturing to what's left of her right arm. "It's just taking me a while to get used to it," she says sadly.

"Well, normal is what you make of it," her father says, getting her attention.

"What is that supposed to mean? Do want me to just PRETEND like nothing happened? I lost a PART of me. A piece of me is GONE, and it's never coming back," Yang says.

"…Your right. It's not coming back," Taiyang says, lowering his head with his eyes closed. But then he opens them and raises his head. "But that doesn't have to stop you from becoming who you want to be. You're YANG. XIAO. LONG. My sunny little dragon. You can do whatever you put your mind to," he says, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder. "So whenever you're ready to stop MOPING, and get back out there…I'll be there for you," he says, pointing at her.

"…Well…what about your sister, Ruby?" Eizen asks.

"Huh?" Yang replies.

"Yang…I too have a little sister, much younger than me. Her name is Edna. You're lucky, you have a chance to see her again. But as for me, I'll probably never be able to see her again," Eizen says solemnly.

"What…do you mean?" Yang asks.

"My…semblance, the Reaper's curse, brings ill fortune to everyone around me. Your father told me about your uncle Qrow's semblance being bascially the same thing. I left my sister to protect her from my curse. But, the one time I came back to visit her, Grimm appeared and attacked us. I took her somewhere safe, and then I left. I would only put her in more danger if I stayed. I can't see her without endangering her…But you have a chance to be there for your sister. She's out there, fighting, and as an older sibling, I know she misses you. I know mine misses me. She's waiting for you, waiting for her big sister to be there by her side again. To help her in the fights to come. Do you think you can help her here, sitting around doing nothing?" Eizen asks her.

Yang glances away, "I…I…" she begins.

"Everyone feels fear, Yang. There's no shame in that. It comes and goes like any other emotion. What's important is how you handle it. Your sister is facing her fears. I believe you have the strength to face yours as well. I do know my students very well, after all," Port adds.

"Yang…I can't be there for my sister, but you can still be there for yours. If you won't put the arm on for yourself or for your father…then do it for Ruby. Do it for your sister," Eizen says.

Yang looks around at all of them, and thinks very hard about their words. About facing her fears. And about Ruby.

…

The next morning, Taiyang is outside, tending to his garden, while Eizen leans against the house next to him.

"You're more than welcome to help, you know," Taiyang offers, a little annoyed.

Eizen takes out his coin and flips it in the air, "Probably not a good idea," he says, catching the coin.

Just then, they hear the front door open up and look to see Yang walking out…now wearing her new prosthetic arm as she flexes it around a bit.

Taiyang stands up and joins Eizen.

"Alright then…Let's get started," Taiyang says.

"Now, we're making some progress," Eizen says.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Weiss and Eleanor make their escape, and Yang puts on the arm thanks to Eizen and her dad. As for the scene with Ironwood, I didn't really like writing it like that because I hate his metal guts, but it made sense for the chapter and the story, so I went with it. Anyway, now Weiss is on her way to Vale, and Yang renews her training. Will Weiss see her teammates again? Will Yang be able to face her fears? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	58. Chapter 58: Making Progress

**Here we are at Chapter 58. Let's see how the gang is doing since the last chapter. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 58. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 58: Making Progress**

In the forests of Anima, Ruby and her group continue their trek to Mistral, along with Magilou. It has been some time since they left the village of Higanbana and were able to rest inside a building rather than out in the wild, which was a nice relief.

"Can I ask you something, Magilou?" Jaune asks out of the blue.

"What is it?" Magilou asks, twirling one of her cards above her left index finger.

"How are you able to do…all those things that you do? I mean, I get it if it was your semblance, but I've never heard of a semblance that allows you to do so many different things. From your cards, to those flames and all that flying around. It's just like something you would read out of a comic book," Jaune says.

"I told you, I'm a witch. I have many magnificent powers. Also, as they say, a magician never reveals their secrets," Magilou replies.

"Wait, then which one are you, a witch or a magician?" Ruby asks, confused.

"A witch, the second one was just a figure of speech. Besides, magicians are nothing compared to a mighty sorceress like myself," Magilou replies.

"Sorceress? Now you're making it even more confusing. Pick a side already!" Nora retorts.

"Oh, my amazement and beauty are lost on these poor, young souls. What is a fair maiden to do?" Magilou plays it off dramatically.

Jaune groans, "We are so off topic now," he mutters, hunching over.

"Come on, no need to get so down, blondie. We still have a ways to go before we reach this Haven place of yours. Although personally, I wouldn't mind hitting a spa along the way. I mean, I travel a lot, but when the weather gets rough, it's killer on my delicate skin," Magilou replies.

"I doubt we'll find anything like that outside the kingdom. Maybe you'll find one when we reach Mistral, though that won't be for some time," Ren notes.

Magilou groans, "Well, that sucks," she replies as they keep walking through the wilderness.

…

In Atlas, Weiss and Eleanor are boarding an Atlas Military airship set to take them to Patch. As they board they look back to see General Ironwood seeing them off. He gives them a simple salute and they nod to him in return before they enter the ship. The ship's doors close and it takes off into the skies.

"Well, at least we got a ship. That was much easier than I thought it would be. I thought we would have to stow away on one," Eleanor notes as she looks out the side windows in the cargo hold.

Weiss sits on a supply crate, holding her suitcase, "Yeah, of course, this part will be a lot easier than what comes next," she notes solemnly.

Eleanor stares at her as Zaveid appears next to her, "What are you talking about? You're finally free from that deadbeat dad of yours, and you're getting to chance to be reunited with your girlfriend. I really don't see the issue here," Zaveid says.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. I haven't seen nor spoken to Yang in MONTHS. And the last time we were together, she was unconscious, with a missing arm, and I just…wasn't there. I won't stop from seeing her again, but I highly doubt she'll be happy to see me after I left her in such a manner. I might as well have broken up with her, and done so through a text message! Hell, I'll be lucky if she just punches me in the face straight through a wall!" Weiss complains.

Eleanor goes to stand in front of Weiss, "…And yet, you're still going to see her anyway. You're prepared to face the consequences of your actions. Not many people have that kind of courage or strength. Velvet was like that once. She accepted that she wasn't a good person, and that a lot of innocent people were or will be harmed because of her actions. And yet, she still walked the path that she believed in. She was ready to face what lied ahead of her on her path, even if it meant putting herself in greater danger, or even at the cost of her own life. You and Velvet have that in common," she notes.

Weiss chuckles a bit, "Heh, truth be told, I owe Velvet quite a bit. If it wasn't for her, I would've been a lot worse than how I am now as a person. I was letting so much junk that I got from my father and from my earlier experiences in Atlas cloud my judgement, making me blind to what's truly important. But Velvet knocked some sense into me, in more ways than one. And it's not just her, it was all of my teammates. They helped me become a better person, so now I have to be there for them. Even if it will be difficult, I am Weiss Schnee. I decide my own path from now on," she says.

Eleanor giggles a bit, "You kind of sound like my friend, Eizen. He always believed in following his own path in life as well, his own creed. Maybe you'll get the chance to meet him when we reach Yang. I can assure you that he's not as bad as he looks," Eleanor notes.

"Yeah, in fact Eizen and I are old buddies. We've had a few fights when we first got to know each other, but then again, I've always loved a good brawl. We'd fight for fun, we'd talk, and sometimes we would drink so much that we couldn't stand back up. Heh-heh-heh, it's been a lot of fun. He's a good guy. He made me realize a few things too," Zaveid adds.

Weiss smiles a bit, "I see. He sounds like a splendid man. I remember Velvet telling me about him. It sounds off that someone like him would be called 'the Reaper'," she notes.

"Yeah, well, that Reaper's Curse of his can be a real pain in the butt. But, you get used to it. If you ask me, it just makes things more interesting. Nothing more annoying than a boring, uneventful life, huh," Zaveid notes.

…

Speaking of said Reaper, back in Patch, Yang trains outside her home, with Eizen as her training partner, and her father and Zwei watching from the sidelines. They had only been training for a short while now since Yang put on her arm, and immediately, the two adults could see how rusty Yang's combat skills have gotten since Beacon. Yang runs at Eizen, throwing a few punches at him, but he easily steps away from each strike. When Yang goes for a spin kick, Eizen grabs her leg and swings her into a tree. Yang growls as she gets back up, and goes in for another attack on Eizen. The Reaper conjures an arte, creating stone pillars to shoot up around him to block her punches, and then punches through them, sending out rocks and debris at Yang. Yang blocks the counter attack with her arms, but that leaves her open for a hard uppercut to her stomach by Eizen. Yang gasps for air, but then Eizen throws her into the air. He jumps up after her and conjures up a fire arte, sending a ball of fire at her that makes her crash into the ground. Eizen lands in front of her and crosses his arms.

"Is that all you got? I can tell that you haven't practiced your fighting skills in months. If you're going to get back out in the world, you need to knock the rust off and get back in fighting shape, and soon," Eizen criticizes her performance.

Yang groans as she slowly gets onto her hands and knees, "In case you hadn't noticed, I had been short one arm for several months. Kind of hard to practice fighting with just one arm," Yang retorts.

"Velvet told you about her past, correct?" Eizen asks, and Yang nods. "Then I'm sure she told you that her brother-in-law, Artorius, was a master swordsman. Even after he lost the use of his right arm, he trained with just his left arm and became a master swordsman once again. If he could do that, then you should at least be able to know how to throw a proper punch with just one arm," Eizen says.

Yang groans and slowly gets back on her feet, "Okay, so I'm off my game. Think you could at least even the odds a bit by not doing all that hocus-pocus stuff you do with the rocks and fire and everything else?" she asks.

"I could…" Eizen begins, before he suddenly does a flash step and is right behind Yang, throwing a left hook that knocks her back onto the ground. "But then it would take more time for you to get back into tip-top shape. And we don't just don't have that kind of time right now," he says, flipping his coin.

Yang growls and is about to attack him again until Taiyang steps in with a towel and a bottle of water.

"Okay, how about a little break? I think you've tastes the dirt and the grass enough times for today," Taiyang jokes.

Yang looks away, but accepts the towel and water anyway, going to sit down on the tree stump next to Zwei.

"You know, you could take it maybe just a little easier on her," Taiyang says.

"You wanted me to help her in her training, so I am. My way. The Grimm aren't going to be nice to her out in the real world, so being soft on her isn't going to help her in the long run," Eizen retorts.

"I know that…but still, the goal is to get her back in the game, not break her spirits…You know, I never knew that Velvet had a brother-in-law," Taiyang notes.

"She doesn't like talking about her family, especially him. So don't bother asking about it okay," Eizen replies as he looks away.

"I…see…Well, we all have things we'd rather not talk about, especially when family is involved," Taiyang mutters.

…

Meanwhile, on the ship towards Menagerie, Blake, Sun, and Rokurou sit in one of the passenger cabins in the ship, making light conversation to help past the time, with Rokurou polishing his swords, Sun having a banana, and Blake reading a book that she kept from Beacon.

"Do you really do nothing but read all day?" Rokurou asks Blake.

"Mostly…Is that a problem?" Blake asks, a little annoyed.

"Nah, it just reminds me of my old pal, Laphicet. He loves reading books too. I bet you two would've gotten along very well if you ever met," Rokurou notes.

This actually gets Blake interested a bit, "What kind of books did he like?' she asks, curious.

"Well, he read a lot of books related to history, the ocean, animals, map making. He really liked to read all kinds of books. Don't remember if he ever had a favorite though," Rokurou notes.

"Great, more books. Didn't he ever try anything fun, like dancing, fighting bad guys, talking about cute girls?" Sun asks, only to get smacked on the head with Blake's book. "Ow!"

Rokurou laughs, "Hahaha, not really. Though Eizen and I did teach him a thing or two about women for when he got older for one thing," he says.

Blake narrows her eyes, "Like what kind of things about women?" she questions him with a glare.

Rokurou chuckles nervously a bit, "Just to, uh, treat women with respect, and all that…Heh-heh, actually, I remember one time when a friend of our merry band, Bienfu, showed some of the books he liked to read," Rokurou says as he thinks back to the good old days.

Blake gets less irritated now since the topic went back to books, "What kind of books?" she asks.

"The kind a little kid like Laphicet shouldn't be reading. They were basically all about how to pick up women, and other stuff that he really didn't need to know at the time. Once Velvet and Eleanor found out, they quickly confiscated all of Bienfu's books, and Eleanor gave Bienfu a really harsh interrogation after that. It wasn't pretty, I can guarantee that," Rokurou says, cringing a bit.

Blake blushes a little bit as some…mature thoughts on what those books could be about stirred into her mind.

"That's disgusting! Well, I'm glad they stopped him before Laphicet read them. From what Velvet told me, he was just a little kid when you were travelling together," Blake notes.

"Yeah, though he didn't like being treated like a little kid, hahaha. Though, he matured quite a bit since joining our crew. Ah, those were good times, right Kurogane?" Rokurou says as he goes back to polishing his red blade.

This peeks their interest, "Why do you talk to your sword? Not only that, why do you only talk to the red one?" Sun asks.

"Because…Kurogane here wasn't always a sword. He used to be a human who then became a demon," Rokurou says.

"Wait, what?!" both kids say.

"What, Velvet never told you about that?" Rokurou asks.

"No, she didn't. How can someone become a sword? Did he use his blood in making it?" Blake asks.

"Well, it kind of goes like this. Back when he was human, Kurogane wanted to make a sword that would be strong enough to beat my other sword, Stormhowl. It's an old sword, centuries old, but it's the still the strongest sword around. Well, his desire to beat Stormhowl eventually took him over, and he became a demon, kind of like how my bitterness and hatred towards my brother, Shigure, turned me into a demon. He forged countless swords, but then again, he was credited as being the world's greatest swordsmith. Anyway, he had never been able to forge a sword that could beat Stormhowl, even when he forged a sword out of orichalcum. He knew he was missing something. A sword can't just be hard, it needs to be flexible as well, or else it'll break when it meets a strong force. Ultimately, he decided to forge himself into a blade. We had one last drink together, and then I left him to do his thing. I didn't see how he did it. Hell, to this day, I still have no idea how he did it, but he managed to do it anyway. With this new Kurogane Stormquell, I defeated my brother with a three sword technique between Kurogane and a pair of daggers that I wielded at the time. After that, Shigure told me to take Stormhowl, and to put it to good use. I carry the wills of my friend, and my brother, on my back, as I work to become the greatest swordsman in the world. Well, at least my world anyway. I'm not concerned about being this world's greatest swordsman since I won't be here forever. But yeah, that's the story about Kurogane, and that's why I talk to him sometimes. He may be a sword now, but he's still Kurogane, the greatest swordsmith in the world, and my old friend whom I had the honor of knowing," Rokurou explains as he finishes polishing his sword and puts it back in its sheathe.

"Wow, that's…a little hard to believe if you ask me, but still, wow," Sun notes.

"He wanted to defeat Stormhowl so badly that he became a sword himself to do it. It's strange, but…I find it commendable in a way about his determination going centuries, and how far he was willing to sacrifice his own body to beat it," Blake mutters.

"Yeah, when you set your sights on something, you'd better give it everything you got, otherwise what's the point. By the way, since we're talking about blades here, can I see your sword again please?" Rokurou asks Blake.

"Um…I guess," Blake says and hands her weapon to him.

Rokurou inspects the sheathe first before he pulls out her katana, eyeing every centimeter of it carefully.

"Hmmm, you turned the sheathe into a blade itself, that's pretty cool. The blade of your katana can fold down when you want to use the gun mechanism in the handle, and thanks to that long ribbon of yours, you can even use it like a chain-scythe. I must admit, the weapons of your world are still a sight to behold. As one who appreciates a good blade, I am impressed," Rokurou says as he hands Blake back her weapon.

Blake looks a little solemn at his comment, _"He sounds like Ruby when she goes nuts over weapons…"_ she thinks.

…

In the village of Higanbana, Velvet Crowe walks through the village streets, looking for Ruby. Her pendant had been glowing the day before and led her here, but now it's not showing even a faint glimmer.

"I wish there was an instruction manual to this stupid thing," Velvet groans as she glances at the pendant before going back to scouting the village. Walking through the village, she finds a tavern and decides to get a drink and take a quick break before heading back out, as well as to look for some information regarding Ruby. Entering the tavern, she finds it fairly busy with some people inside, having drinks, making conversation, and the occasional drunk passing out in his seat. Velvet finds one empty table near the back, wanting to be left alone. After sitting for a few minutes, a waitress wearing an East-Asian type outfit comes over.

"Good afternoon, how may I be of service?" the waitress asks.

"Just a water for now, thanks. I've been travelling for a while now," Velvet replies.

"Of course, I'll be right back with that. Let me know if you need anything else," the waitress says and leaves to get her drink.

Velvet minds her own business, watching the other patrons in case one of them decides to do something stupid (like those bandits from before). After a minutes, she sees the waitress coming back with her drink, but then one drunk patron smacks her butt as she walks by, making the poor woman yelp while he laughs. Velvet narrows her eyes and subtly shoots out a small spark of fire at the drunk's backside, lighting his butt on fire and making him run out of the tavern screaming. The woman then calms down and brings Velvet her drink.

"Thank you. You okay?" Velvet asks.

"I'm fine, it happens sometimes. But thanks for your concern. I don't know how his pants caught on fire though," the waitress wonders.

'It's called karma," Velvet replies.

The waitress giggles, "You're right about that. Anyway, is there anything else I can get you?" she asks.

"Actually, I'm looking for someone. A young girl, wears a long red cloak with a hood, and has silver eyes. You wouldn't happen to have seen someone like that? She's an old friend of mine," Velvet asks.

The woman then gets a little nervous, "Actually…a while back, there was this one man that was also asking about a girl in a red hood. Asked if I knew how to find her," she says.

Velvet then gets serious, "What did this man look like?" she asks.

"He had a ponytail, and a brown jacket over white clothes. He seemed like a mad man with his crazed laugh. Honestly, I was frightened by the mere sight of him. He asked about the girl…and I told him that a girl fitting that description came through the village some time ago," the waitress explains.

Velvet stands out of her seat, "Where did they go?!" she demands.

"The girl went north with some friends, through the other side of the village. The scary man went in the same direction. To be honest, it has me a little worried, but I just wanted him gone and out of here," the waitress explains.

Velvet quickly chugs the rest of her drink, and leaves some lien on the table, "Thanks for the water! Gotta go!" she says and runs out of the tavern. Velvet then starts running through the village, exiting it a few minutes later as she heads north. _"Whoever this guy is, he doesn't sound like a friend. Hang on Ruby…I'm coming to you…"_

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Been a while since we had every member of Team RVWBY in a chapter, but now things are heating up a little bit. Eizen trains Yang, Blake gets to know Rokurou, Ruby travels with Magilou, and Eleanor goes to Patch with Weiss. Meanwhile, Velvet continues to search for Ruby, but it seems she isn't the only one after her now. Will Velvet reach Ruby in time? What's in store for our favorite group of girls? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	59. Chapter 59: Meet the Family

**Here we are at Chapter 59. Let's get back to Rokurou and Blake in the story. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 58. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 59: Meet the Family**

The boat that Rokurou, Blake, and Sun are on pulls into the port for Menagerie.

"Whoo, this place looks pretty cool. Reminds me of this one island my old friends and I visited. The place had a nice port, loads of food stalls, awesome beaches, and crystal clear waters. Too bad we were there on business only, otherwise I might have stayed there for a little longer than a few days," Rokurou notes as he checks out the portside of the town.

"Are you sure you'll be okay here. What if someone sees the right side of your face?" Sun asks.

"Eh, I'm sure they won't notice. Hell, they may even think that I'm a Faunus like them," Rokurou plays it off.

"Menagerie is the one place in Remnant that anyone is welcome to come to, no matter who or what they are. However, just to be safe, keep the demon side of your face covered. If people start getting restless because of it, it may cause problems for us later. Come on, let's get going," Blake says.

The three leave the ship and walk around a bit, with Sun and Rokurou taking in the sights while Blake walks in front of them, more used to the atmosphere of her old home. However, as Rokurou steps out of the way for a few Faunus walking by, he notices something off.

"There sure are a lot of people here. A little too many for just one place, wouldn't you say?" he notes.

Blake sighs as he cat ears fold down, "Yes, there sure is," she sadly notes and starts walking ahead deeper into town with her two companions behind her.

As they continue walking, Sun and Rokurou have to step out of the way of some more Faunus carrying crates that pass on by.

"Well, when you try and take an entire species and put them on an island that's two-thirds desert, YEAH, it tends to be cramped," Blake replies, narrowing her eyes.

"Desert huh. Not exactly an easy place to set up a town with this many people. That sure sucks," Rokurou notes as he looks around.

"What? You guys have that much more space? Why waist it? A little desert never hurt anyone," Sun says as he steps in front of Blake and Rokurou.

"That's not the point. It's not like the desert in Vacuo, Sun. The wildlife here is more dangerous than most other regions." Blake explains.

"I've heard that much of Vacuo is desert, but you've grown used to living like that, Sun. Much like everyone else there. It's not as simple as that for the people here though. There are just some areas that are too dangerous or too lacking in resources to properly set up a working town there. It's like trying to sharpen a sword with a simple piece of cloth. It's just not going to work," Rokurou adds.

Sun rubs his head and steps back, "So, they gave us a terrible island, in the corner of Remnant, to try and shut us up," he figures out.

Blake and Rokurou walk by him, "That's a pretty good summary, yeah," Blake says.

"Huh…Jerks," Sun mutters, hands on his hips as he follows.

The three walk up some steps, "We try to make the best of things," Blake says as they reach the top.

"You make do with what you got. It's all anyone can do really," Rokurou says, and then looks at the rest of the town in front of them. "But then again…it does at least have a good view from up here," he says, hand on his chin.

They see other sections of the village, and trees around them. The most distinct feature is a large building at the center of the village, with a street leading right to it.

"This is Kuo Kuana," Blake introduces them to the village.

"It's…Beautiful. I take it all back. This place looks GREAT! Why would anyone want to leave?!" Sun asks, not getting the picture.

"Again, you're missing the point Sun. The Faunus wanted to be treated as equals, but instead got this little consolation prize rather than what they truly wanted and deserve. It was sort of like the Abbey back in my world. If people didn't conform to their beliefs and ideals. If they didn't start worshipping Innominat, then those people were taken to a small town out in the ice caps and left there at the mercy of the demons that live around that area. It was either become basically logic-loving, reason praising drones, or food for demons. Believe me, it wasn't fun for them. And what made it worse was that those people never condemned those that worshipped Innominat, they just wanted to stay true to their own religious beliefs. But for the Abbey, that wasn't good enough. The Faunus here are in a similar situation. Simply because they were different, they were all basically rounded up and tossed down here in a dangerous place and told to survive on their own. It's a little irritating to be honest," Rokurou notes as he narrows his eyes.

"Wow…that's…really harsh. Now I feel like a real idiot," Sun notes, melancholy.

"Don't think too hard about it. Besides, that mess has already been cleaned up back home. If it can happen there, then I'm sure it'll happen here someday, too. Just gotta stay positive about it," Rokurou cheers them up.

Blake actually smiles a bit and slowly nods, "…Alright, time to go home," she says.

Sun wraps his arm around her shoulders, "Oh yeah! Which one's yours? Can you see it from here?" he asks, right hand over his eyes as he looks around.

"Kind of," she says, looking straight ahead.

"Is it that one?" he asks, pointing to a house on his right. "What about that tiny one down there? I like the paint job," he asks again, this time pointing to his left down the hill.

Blake closes her eyes at him before opening them again and grabs his right arm, "It's…that one," she says, moving his hand to point at the large house in the center before letting go.

Sun looks at the house, the points at Blake, who nods.

"Ah, not bad. Someone's living it up. Nice digs," Rokurou notes.

The three eventually arrive at the large house, walking up the front steps. They come up to a set of very large doors, with metal handles on the front to hit the door to let the occupants know of visitors. Blake goes to grab one of them, but then hesitates and pulls back, looking worried.

"What is it?" Sun asks.

"I um…It's just been…A long time since I've seen my parents," she admits, looking away, sad.

"Hey, you never know what'll happen until it happens. No reason to hesitate now," Rokurou notes.

Sun places a hand on her shoulder, "Yeah, we came all this way. Might as well keep going. We've got your back," he says, supporting her.

Blake sighs and reaches up to grab the handle and hits it against the door, making a loud metal sound. Sun look up, a little surprised.

The teenagers take a step back, "Okay, to be honest, that's kind of intimidating," Sun points out, a little scared.

"I kind of like it," Rokurou notes, smirking.

A moment later, the door opens up and a woman leans out. The woman is a cat Faunus with black cat ears on her head. Her hair is short and has three gold piercings on her cat ears – two on her right, and one on her left. She is wearing a black hakama and sandals with white tabi socks. Over her outfit is a black shrug with a long right sleeve and a short left sleeve with gold leaf trim along the opening at the front. On both arms, she is wearing long, black arm warmers that extend to the middle finger. The left one has a purple band tied around the top and a pair of gold bangles around the wrist. Around her waist is a black and gold sash that trails behind her, with a gold flower-shaped buckle at the end. This is Blake's mother, Kali Belladonna. Kali looks out the door, but then her eyes widen and her cat ears perk up as she steps out the door, looking straight at Blake.

"Blake?" she says, looking shocked.

Blake's cat ears fold down, "…Hi Mom," she says, feeling nervous.

However, Kali just walks up to her and holds her in a heartwarming embrace.

"Oh, my baby girl," she sighs in relief, happy to see her daughter again.

Blake appears shocked, but then smiles as she returns the embrace.

"Kali, who is it?" a male voice asks as they release each other and look back.

A tall, muscular man walks forward. He has black hair, a beard, and yellow eyes. He is wearing an open dark, violet coat with white fur trim, exposing his hairy chest. Over his beige pants is a matching sash that wraps around his waist, secured with a large, silver metal buckle. On the left shoulder of his coat is a silver metal spaulder, which through a pair of curved strips across the chest attaches as a clasp on the opposite front panel of the coat. His black leather boots have white toes in the shape of paws with claws at the tips. This is Blake's father, Ghira Belladonna. Ghira has his hands on his hips, but drops them as his eyes widen at seeing Blake. Blake smiles, while Sun smiles for her, and Ghira smiles at seeing his daughter again, while the three visitors smile back at one another.

"Blake, my girl is back home," Ghira says as he walks up and gives Blake a big hug.

"Hi Dad…I'm home," Blake says.

They separate and then Ghira notices her companions, "And you didn't come alone, I see," he notes, not exactly smiling at Sun, while remaining indifferent to Rokurou.

At this, Blake gets a little nervous, "Um, yeah…Mom, Dad, these are some friends of mine," Blake gestures to them.

"Nice to meet ya, I'm Sun Wukong," Sun waves to them.

"And I'm Rokurou Rangetsu. A pleasure," Rokurou says with a slight bow.

"I see…A pleasure," Ghira says as he stares at them, feeling annoyed by Sun's presence, while feeling more defensive with Rokurou.

"Alright, enough of that. It's been so long since Blake's been home, Ghira. Come in inside, you three. I'll whip us up some tea," Kali says, being the voice of reason.

A little later, the five are in a large circular room with pillars all around them as they sit around a table in the center. Kali pours a cup of tea for everyone, and they all make some small talk about what they've been up to, especially what happened at Beacon.

Kali places down her cup on the table, "We were horrified when we heard the news. The kingdom of Vale wasn't perfect, but it certainly didn't deserve what happened. We were both so worried," Kali voices her concerns about the Fall of Beacon.

Ghira chuckles while crossing his arms, "Please, I knew she'd be fine," Ghira says, pretending not to seem worried.

Kali scoffs, "That isn't the slightest bit true. Should've seen him pacing," Kali interjects.

"Well, I haven't been with them long, but I have seen Blake in action. She's a pretty skilled huntress. I can see why she got accepted into Beacon," Rokurou notes as he sips this tea. "You know, this tea's pretty good," he says.

"Thank you," Kali replies with a smile.

"Wait, so you weren't there at the Fall of Beacon. I thought you were one of Blake's friends, though you definitely appear to be too old for a student," Ghira says.

"Well, he's not a student from Beacon, and he wasn't there at the Fall of Beacon. You see, he's actually an old friend of Velvet's, one of my teammates. I ran into him on my way here, and he decided to tag along. Although, despite not being from Beacon, he's quite the swordsman I must admit," Blake explains.

"I see, well, thank you for helping our daughter get home safely. But, aren't you worried about your friend, Velvet?" Kali asks.

"Nah, I'm not worried about her. Velvet is strong. She won't be taken out that easily. Besides, I still have a debt to repay to her, and I can repay that debt to her by helping out Blake here. Any friend of Velvet's is a friend of mine," Rokurou says.

"I see…Well, although I'm grateful for your help with my daughter, I must ask, who exactly-," Ghira begins to ask before they hear a knock at the front doors. "Darn it, I completely forgot about the meeting," he says, pounding his left fist on the table.

"Ghira…" Kali says, placing her hand on his fist to calm him down.

"Give me a moment," he says and gets up to answer the door.

Blake, Sun, and Rokurou look at her mom, who looks down.

"Is everything okay?" Blake asks.

"Yes dear, just poor timing. He can reschedule. It's just been hard dealing with them lately," Kali says as she goes to sip her drink.

"Dealing with who exactly?" Rokurou asks.

Kali stops drinking her cup, "Hm. The White Fang," she says.

The three of them freak out at hearing this, "WHAT?!" they all yell as they stand up.

They quickly run to the front door, "Dad!" Blake yells.

Ghira turns around, "Blake. What's wrong?" he asks.

In front of him are two White Fang members, though their outfits are different than the ones seen in Vale, and with their hands clasped together. They are two males, one taller than the other. They are both wearing white robes with red hoods, and sleeveless black coats over the robes, along with sandals and black socks. The taller one has a corsac fox tail, while the shorter one has fennec fox ears.

"Miss Belladonna," the taller one says as he bows to her.

"We had no idea you'd returned," the shorter one continues, also bowing to her.

Blake's group stands next to Ghira, "What are you doing talking to these people?" she asks, each one of them looking angry.

"…This is Corsac and Fennec Albain. They represent the White Fang here in Menagerie now," Ghira introduces them.

"Those PSYCHOS are here, too?!" Sun shouts, while Rokurou narrows his eyes at the White Fang members.

"Young man, I'm not sure what you've heard of our organization, but I can assure you we're not nearly as ferocious as the media would have you believe," The one with the fox ears, Fennec, says.

"Really, then maybe you can explain why your 'brothers' killed innocent people at the Fall of Beacon. Both human AND Faunus. I may not have seen it personally…but I know these two have seen it firsthand," Rokurou says, crossing his arms as he gestures to Sun and Blake. _"Summer Rose told me about the Fall of Beacon, and the issues with the White Fang right now. Good thing she did, otherwise I would have no idea what's going on right now."_

Blake glances at him, _"How does he know about that? He must have found out by Ruby's mother before he came to our world. That's the only explanation,"_ she thinks before she focuses back on the Albains.

This makes Ghira suspicious, "What is he talking about?" he questions them, narrowing his eyes a little at them.

"Precisely what we came here to discuss with you, your grace," the taller one, Corsac, calmly replies.

At this point, Kali joins them, "Is everything all right?" she asks, while Blake looks at the Albains, absolutely livid.

"Wait, you guys seriously don't know?!" Sun says.

"Know WHAT?" Ghira asks Blake, narrowing his eyes.

"…The White Fang was at the Fall of Beacon. They attacked innocent civilians, and they released Grimm into the school," Blake recounts the story.

The two White Fang members glance at each other before looking back at Blake.

"…Is this true?" Ghira asks them accusingly.

"Sadly, your grace, it is," Fennec replies, acting sad as he bows his head a bit.

"Don't act like you-," Blake begins, but Rokurou puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down Blake. This isn't the place nor the time," Rokurou says, but keeping his eyes on the Albains

Ghira glances at them before turning back to the brothers, "EXPLAIN yourselves. Now," he demands from the Albains.

The brothers look at each other, then back at him, "Though it pains us to admit, it has become apparent that the Vale branch of the White Fang is no longer operating under orders of high leader Khan. Rather, they've elected to follow the rule of one, Adam Taurus. I believe you're all familiar with the young Adam and his…extreme…philosophies," Corsac explains.

"Let's not forget that Beacon wasn't the first time the White Fang caused chaos in Vale. They've been messing with a lot of people for some time now. And Adam Taurus was the one leading them," Rokurou notes.

"The high council had their suspicions of a splinter group, but they could prove nothing until this latest incident," Fennec explains.

"Incident…" Blake starts, getting their attention. "People…are DEAD," She says, narrowing her eyes at them.

"And it IS a tragedy," Corsac says as the two brothers lower their heads.

Fennec looks at Ghira, "Your grace, we came to assure you that Brother Taurus and his followers DO NOT represent the will of the White Fang," Fennec says.

Ghira glares at them, "…And how can I be sure of that?" he asks.

"We understand if you bear any skepticism towards these claims. The White Fang's tactics are…admittedly more aggressive since you stepped down as high leader, and became Chieftan of Menagerie…But this, this is no way to make our message heard," Corsac explains.

"We have ample documentation from the council meeting as well as several strategies to apprehend and punish these strays if you care to review them," Fennec adds.

"…I will…But another day. I'd like some time to reconnect with my daughter," he says more calmly as he looks at Blake.

"Of course, your grace," Corsac says.

"We completely understand," Fennec adds, then looks at Blake. "It was a pleasure to see you again, young Blake," he says.

"We were saddened when we heard of your departure from the White Fang, but understand if you can no longer support our cause," Corsac adds.

"It is a wearying fight, after all," Fennec says.

Blake steps up, "Who says I'm done fighting?" she says.

"Hm. If you ever do wish to return, you need merely come find us," Corsac offers.

"Sister Ilia would be elated," Fennec adds.

Ghira steps in front of them, "Goodbye, gentlemen," he says and closes the doors.

After Ghira closes the doors, Kali steps closet to him while Blake walks away, angry at how the Albains acted towards the Fall of Beacon.

"I think she needs a few minutes alone for now. She needs to think about a few things," Rokurou says.

"Agreed," Kali replies.

"…Well those guys were creepy," Sun notes about the Albains.

"You know, I just realized something," Ghira says.

"What's that?" Sun asks.

Ghira then glares at Sun, "I really don't like you," he says, making Sun reel back a bit in fear.

Back outside, the two brothers begin their walk down the front steps.

"An interesting development, wouldn't you say?" Fennec says.

"Interesting indeed," Corsac concurs.

"So…Shall we inform Brother Adam?" Fennec asks.

"…We shall," Corsac replies, both of them smiling, before that smile fades a second later. "However, one thing that concerns me was that human-looking individual with them. None of the reports from our allies in Vale said anything about anyone matching his description, and yet he knew so much about our operations in Vale. It is possible that Miss Belladonna may have told him, but still he concerns me," he finishes.

"Agreed. Something did not feel right about him…We will need to learn more," Fennec replies.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Rokurou meets Blake's parents, and so far things seem well, but now the Albains know that he's here. Well, we'll see how that goes in the future. Will Rokurou be able to get Blake back on the right path? What about everyone else? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	60. Chapter 60: (Un)happy Reunion

**Here we are at Chapter 60. Now that we've seen how Rokurou and Blake are doing, let's get back to some of the other members of the story. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 60. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 60: (Un)happy Reunion**

Weiss Schnee looks out the window of the Atlas military airship as it nears the island of Patch, and with every second that passes by, the feeling of nervousness within her only grows. While she is glad to finally see Yang again, she is also scared about how the blonde will react. Honestly, Weiss wouldn't blame her if Yang punched her in the face the second she saw her. She would deserve it for leaving Yang after her serious injury and passing out. A moment later, Eleanor walks into the cargo bay to check on her.

"I just spoke with the pilot. He says we'll be landing shortly. After that, we'll be walking to the Xiao Long household, which isn't too far away. Luckily, General Ironwood gave me the address and location since he actually knows Yang's father there, Taiyang Xiao Long. Are you prepared to see Yang again?" Eleanor asks.

Weiss sighs, "Honestly, I don't think so, but I can't run from this. Whatever kind of punishment Yang wants to dish out on me, I'll accept it. I don't want you to stop her either. This needs to be between us," she says, looking back out the window.

"I…understand. We'll also be meeting my old friend, Eizen there. He was sent to help out Yang," Eleanor notes.

"Velvet told me about him. He seems like a decent man, if a bit complicated," Weiss replies.

"Well, when you've lived your whole life with the Reaper's curse, you're life definitely gets…interesting to say the least," Eleanor adds. A few seconds later, they feel the airship slow down to a stop and then descend until it reaches the ground. It seems they've arrived. "Alright, it's time to go," she says as she grabs her spear.

Weiss sighs again, "Right, no use turning back now," she says as she grabs her rapier and suitcase.

The two females exit the airship and then watch as it ascends back into the air before heading back to Atlas. With that, the girls begin their trek to their destination, and quite possibly Weiss' murder scene.

…

At the Xiao Long household, Yang continues her training with Eizen. When they first started, Yang showed obvious signs of her skills having dulled, but now she was on more equal ground with the Reaper. Yang throws a few punches that Eizen deflects, and then goes for a roundhouse kick. Eizen creates a stone pillar to block it, and then Yang punches through it with her metal fist. Eizen creates another arte, sending out a green ball of energy at Yang. Yang flips over the attack and it explodes behind her. She then charges at Eizen again, only for Eizen to suddenly get his entire body engulfed in black flames, with a pair of wings and his eyes glowing yellow. He jumps into the air and then flies down on her, grabbing her head and smashing it into the ground. Eizen's power deactivates and he wipes some dust off his shoulders.

"Lesson for today, never be too eager to rush your opponent, especially when they're stronger than you. Understood?" Eizen asks, crossing his arms.

Yang groans, "…Yeah, oh my head," she says as she holds her head and slowly sits up.

"Okay, I think that's enough for right now. Time for a little break," Taiyang says as he brings Yang a towel and a bottle of water. "Still, it's pretty amazing, those abilities you're able to use. I still can't figure out how you do it," Taiyang says, while Zwei goes to sit next to Yang, who pets him.

"I have my ways," Eizen replies as he flips his coin. "Anyway, at least you're making progress. A while back, you were getting tossed around like a rag doll. Nowadays, I have to put some effort into it. With a little more training, you'll be back to peek condition," Eizen notes.

"Well, we'll get there soon enough. For now let's just…" Taiyang begins before he looks outward and stops talking.

Eizen and Zwei look in his direction, and then finally Yang does the same and her eyes widen. Standing before them is Weiss and Eleanor. However, Yang doesn't care about the unknown woman that's with her ex-girlfriend. Right now, Yang is focused on Weiss.

"…Yang…" Weiss says softly, slowly taking a few steps towards her.

Everyone goes silent as Yang stands up, keeping her eyes on Weiss. A moment later…Yang turns and walks back into the house without saying a word to Weiss. Weiss was expecting Yang to punch her into a tree, but this complete rejection…this is much worse. Like Yang has decided not to have any kind of involvement whatsoever with her. To be honest, it hurt a lot, but Weiss did not want to just quit. Not after she has come so far, and gone through so much. Weiss builds up the courage and walks to the household, offering a quick nod to Taiyang and Eizen before going inside.

"Isn't that…" Taiyang begins.

"We should probably give them some space. They have a few things they need to sort out between themselves," Eleanor says as she approaches them. "Forgive me for our surprise visit, Mr. Xiao Long. My name is Eleanor Hume," she says as she bows to the man.

"Um, a pleasure to meet you. You can just call me Taiyang. Mr. Xiao Long makes it sound like I'm old. This is-," Taiyang begins.

"It's been a while Eleanor. I see you're doing well," Eizen greets his old friend.

"Yes, good to see you again, Eizen," Eleanor greets him with a smile.

"Wait, you two know each other. Does that mean she's one of Velvet's friends also?" Taiyang asks.

A gust of wind comes forth and a moment later, Zaveid joins the party, "You got that right. By the way, you can call me Zaveid," he introduces himself.

Now Taiyang is really confused, "Okay, what just happened? Will someone tell me what's going on?" he pleads.

Eleanor sighs, "Don't worry about him. He's an idiot. Let's just wait for Yang and Weiss to settle some things for now," she says as she looks to the house with the others.

…

Weiss entered the Xiao Long household, taking a quick look around the home. It is much smaller than her family manor, and yet, it was filled with so much more than her old home could ever hope to achieve in terms of homeliness and familial love. However, that's not why she came. She heard a door close upstairs and traverses the steps. Seeing a few rooms down the hall, she eventually finds the one she believes Yang closed. She knocks on the door before opening it, surprised to find it unlocked. She slowly opens the door to see Yang sitting on the bed, her back to her.

"…Yang…may we talk?" Weiss slowly asks. However, Yang makes no response once again, not even so much as a glance to her. "I know you're mad at me…You have every right to be mad at me. You were hurt and I just…left. I should've stayed with you, but I didn't, and for that…I'm sorry…Please Yang, just say something. Anything is better than the silent treatment," Weiss pleads.

"…Why?" Yang finally speaks, but still keeps her back to her.

"Yang?" Weiss replies.

"…Why did you leave back at Beacon?" Yang says, a little louder this time.

"Yang, I…I had to. My father came and I-," Weiss begins.

"That's no excuse!" Yang yells as she finally stands up and looks at Weiss with an angry expression. "Do you have any idea what is was like to wake up and find out that everything you cared about was gone?! I lost an ARM trying to protect Blake, only to wake up and find out that she ran away. That she just RAN! I wake up to learn that Beacon was gone, that Pyrrha was dead, and that my teammates had left. Blake ran, Ruby went to Haven, Velvet went missing, and you…you went back home with your father. Even after everything you told me he put you and your family through, you chose him over me. Your own girlfriend. I know we weren't together long, but I was fully prepared to give my entire being to you! And yet, you just left me behind like yesterday's trash after Beacon fell. Like I was just some one-night stand without anything actually happening between us. And to make it worse, I don't hear from you or see you in MONTHS! It takes you have a year to finally decide to show up! What, were you expecting me to wrap my arms around you in a loving embrace and cry tears of joy? Well, screw that, and screw you!" Yang yells as she lets all her anger, pain, and sadness out on Weiss, and Weiss just stands there and takes it. Yang has to take a few breathes to calm herself down, her left hand shaking from her PTSD, and tears in her eyes. "I gave you my heart…and you stabbed it with a blade made of ice. Just leave. Go back home to your father. It's what you're best at," Yang says as she turns around and sits back on her bed with her back once more to Weiss.

To see Yang in such pain and agony, and to know that she herself was the cause…It made Weiss want to impale herself with Myrtenaster. A part of her though this is a bad idea, now after seeing how angry Yang is with her…And yet, it she leaves, it'll only prove Yang's point. That Weiss never cared about her in the first place. And Weiss is not about to let that happen.

"Yang…I want you to punch me in the face," Weiss declares surprisingly.

"What are you talking about?" Yang says, keeping her eyes away from Weiss.

"You're mad at me, and from my experience, you've always best relieved that anger by punching things. So…punch me in the face. Even with your metal hand," Weiss asks.

Yang turns back to her, "You're wasting your time. I already told you to leave, so leave. I don't want to see you ever again," Yang retorts.

"If you want me to leave, then you'll have to make me leave. So, again, punch me," Weiss says.

Yang stands up, "I'm not going to waste my time by punching you," she says.

"Why? Afraid that you're punch isn't as strong as it was back at Beacon. Have you really become that rusty since our time back at school?" Weiss tries to provoke her.

"I'm rusty. I've been training for the past few weeks, preparing to go find Ruby. What have you been doing, playing dress up and practicing for song recitals? I'm not going to punch you!" Yang starts to get angry.

Weiss steps closer to her, "Oh, I get it, you think that you're too good to punch me in the face, now that you've got a high-tech arm from Atlas. It doesn't matter how good that arm is if you don't know how to use it," Weiss taunts her again as she gets in Yang's face.

"Listen here, Ice Queen. I'm warning you to back off. Don't tempt me anymore than you already have," Yang warns her.

"If you want me to back off, then make me you BLONDE-HAIRED, BRAIN-DEAD BRUTE!" Weiss yells in her face.

"THAT'S IT!" Yang screams as she reels back her right fist and punches Weiss in the face, sending her crashing into the wall behind her, cracking it. Weiss's body slowly peels off the wall and falls onto the floor. Only then does Yang realize what she's done, and she freaks out. "Weiss! No, no, no, no, Weiss, please be okay!" Yang says as she moves to Weiss' side and cradles her in her arms. "Weiss? Weiss!" she yells.

Weiss slowly groans before her eyes finally open up. Luckily for her, she had her aura activated before she came, just in case. Still, even aura can't protect her from the pain of one of Yang's punches.

"…Okay, maybe that wasn't the best idea," Weiss groans in pain.

"Weiss, you idiot! What were you thinking? Are you okay?" Yang asks frantically.

Weiss chuckles a bit, "That makes me happy," she says, smiling a bit.

"What are you talking about? How can being punched in the face make you happy?" Yang asks.

Weiss raises her left hand to cup Yang's cheek, stunning her a bit, "Because I can see that you still care about me. That's why I'm happy," she replies.

"Are you crazy?! Of course I still care about you. I-," Yang says before she stops herself at realizing what she just said.

"And I still care about you Yang. I know I don't deserve it…but would you be willing to give me one more chance? Will you let me make things right between us?" Weiss asks.

Tears start to fall from Yang's eyes now, "You…you idiot!" Yang cries as she holds Weiss close to her, who returns the embrace. "Just promise me you'll never leave me again, okay?" she pleads.

"Of course, Yang. I promise. And a Schnee always keeps their word," Weiss replies.

…

The others wait outside, but after hearing all the yelling from earlier, and then the crash that came afterwards, Taiyang is starting to get worried.

"Okay, that's it. I'm going to check on them and make sure Yang hasn't killed anyone yet," Taiyang says and starts to go, until Eizen stops him with a hand on his shoulder.

"This is between them. It isn't our place to interfere with them. I know you're worried about Yang, but this is something that she has to face on her own. You can't always be there to help her, even if you really want to," Eizen says.

"But-," Taiyang is about to retort until they hear the front door open and see Yang walking with Weiss, who has her arm slung over Yang's shoulders for support and is holding her head with her left hand. "Yang, what happened?!" Taiyang asks.

Yang scratches her cheek, "Um, just some stuff…and then I kind of punched Weiss in the face…but only because she asked me to do it! So, yeah, but we're all good now," Yang says.

"For the most part," Weiss mutters, still groaning a bit from the pain.

"Wait right here, I'll go grab an ice pack," Taiyang says as he goes back into the house.

Yang and Weiss approach the others, "Well, I guess we should introduce each other. I'm Yang Xiao Long, Weiss' teammate…and girlfriend," Yang says, blushing a bit at the last part after so long.

"A pleasure. I'm Eleanor Hume, the Shephard and an old friend of Velvet's. This is my malak partner, Zaveid," Eleanor replies.

"What's up?" Zaveid gives them a small salute.

Weiss looks to Eizen, "I guess you're Eizen. Eleanor told me about you. I'm Weiss Schnee. It's a pleasure to meet you," she greets him.

"Likewise," Eizen replies.

A few seconds later, Taiyang returns with a bag of ice in his hands.

"Pardon me, but you should come inside and rest. Take it from me, Yang's punches can hurt, but now with her new arm, they hurt even more," Taiyang says as he hands Weiss the ice pack.

"Thank you, and yes, rest does sound good right about now," Weiss agrees.

With that, the group head inside to rest after a long and eventful day. Soon enough, Taiyang prepared a large dinner for everyone, and for the first time in a long while, both Weiss and Yang were truly smiling and laughing. It is a great feeling, but then Weiss notices something.

"Um, Yang…where is Ruby?" Weiss asks.

At this, Yang and Taiyang lose their smiles.

"Ruby…left…some months ago. She left a note saying that she was going to Haven. Apparently our Uncle Qrow gave her some information about the people responsible for what happened in Vale and at Beacon, and she decided to go and find them. I think Jaune, Ren, and Nora went with her as well. She also said that she would try and find Velvet along the way. Haven't heard from her since," Yang explains.

"And…you didn't think to try and stop her, or to go after her?" Weiss asks, but then regrets it when she remembers Yang's previous condition. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," she apologizes.

Yang shakes her head, "It's okay. I did tell her it was a bad idea, but there was nothing I could do…and I…wasn't exactly in the best condition to do anything at the time. But once my training is done, I'm going to go find her. I know that Uncle Qrow is with her, and the rest of Team JNPR are there as well, so at least she's not alone. I need to tell her some stuff…things that I should've said to her a long time ago. Things that I regret not saying before she left," Yang says sorrowfully.

Weiss places a supportive hand on hers, "Well, you won't be going alone. I'll be coming with you. To be honest, I need to get some practice in as well. I need to master my summoning if I'm going to be of any real help for you out there," she says.

"Don't forget about us," they hear Zaveid say and turn to them. "We're coming along for the party too. To be honest, It sounds exciting, and that's exactly what I'm looking for," he says.

"Yes, once your training is complete, we'll go with you. We want to help," Eleanor adds.

"Well, that settles it. Once we've taken care of things here, we're all going to Haven," Yang declares.

Off to the side, Taiyang smiles gently at seeing his daughter back in full spirits. It seems Weiss was just the right piece she needed to get put back together again.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Yang and Weiss are reunited and back together, and now almost half of Team RVWBY is back together. In the next chapter, things are going to get a little exciting. Weiss and Yang are together, but what about Ruby and Velvet? Will Velvet find Ruby before it's too later? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	61. Chapter 61: Turning Point

**Here we are at Chapter 61. It's been so long since we've last seen them, let's get back to Ruby, Magilou, and Velvet. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 61. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 61: Turning Point**

Ruby and her group, along with Magilou, continue their journey to Haven as they walk through the forests of Anima. Well, Ruby and her group walk, Magilou would occasionally glide along the ground on one of her magic cards. Like she's doing right now.

"So…do you think I could catch a ride on that floating card thing of yours?" Nora asks.

"You could…but it wouldn't be for free," Magilou replies, earning a few looks from the others. "What? A girl's gotta make a living. Besides, if there's one thing I've learned in my travels, it's that if you're good at something, you should never do it for free. We gotta eat, you know," she says.

"I thought professional huntsmen and huntresses were more honorable than that?" Jaune notes.

"For the last time, I'm not a huntress, I'm a witch. I do whatever suits my fancy, and travelling with you guys happens to suit my fancy for the time being. Travelling alone can get so lonely sometimes," Magilou replies. _"Though I do have Bienfu, but I can't show him to the others just yet."_

"Come on guys, Magilou's been really helpful to us so far, and she's an old friend of Velvet's, so I think we can trust her…Probably," Ruby says, muttering the last part to herself.

"Now that you remind me, how did you exactly meet Velvet, Magilou?" Ren asks.

"Eh, long story," Magilou says as she hops off her card and it retreats to her hand. "But it sure was a good show when we did," she notes, remembering about the large prison riot Velvet started to escape that island prison that they were once locked up in.

"Well, we are going to be on a long journey. Care to tell us the story?" Jaune asks.

"I could, but…" Magilou says as she points to an unknown village ahead of them.

"Wait a minute, we're not supposed to meet another village for a while, right?" Ruby asks.

Jaune pulls out his map and takes a look, "Hmm…Y-Yeah, the next village isn't for another week of walking or so," he says.

Nora takes a closer look at the village, "Are those buildings…Damaged?" she asks.

"We should search for survivors!" Jaune says and the group races into the village.

When they enter, they see several buildings, though each one of them looks incomplete, showing their wooden support beams but nothing covering them. As if something stopped them from being finished. Nora jumps on top of the wall and then onto one of the taller buildings while the others remain on the ground for their search. Ruby picks up one large piece of wood, but finds nothing underneath. Meanwhile, Magilou flies over the village on one of her cards to get a bird's eye view for any survivors. While she didn't really care, it would upset Ruby a bit, and that may upset Velvet enough to kill her when she sees her again.

"Anything?" Ruby asks.

"Nothing over here," Nora replies while Ren kneels and looks at the stone ground.

"No one over here either," Jaune replies.

"It almost seems like…the town was abandoned," Ren notes as Nora runs by him with the others walking up near him.

Ruby looks up to Magilou, "Magilou, you see anything up their?!" she yells out.

Magilou flies around for a few more seconds before she descends and lands next to them, "Nope. I don't see anybody. This place is like a ghost town," she notes.

"Hey! I think I found something," Nora calls out. They all move to the center of the street, coming up to a small sign with some foliage growing on it. Nora moves the leaves out of the way to show the name of the village…Oniyuri. "Oniyuri. Hm, never heard of it," Nora says, hands on her hips.

"Me neither," Jaune adds.

Ren closes his eyes, "I have," he says and they look at him. Ren looks at them solemnly, "You might think of it as Anima's Mountain Glenn, had it never been completed. Years ago, the richest members of Mistral were unhappy with how the kingdom was being run. Frustrated with the council, they pulled their resources together to build their own city. With their own laws. They hoped that one day, it could maybe become its own kingdom. Many thought it would be the future…" Ren says as he turns and walks away from them a few feet. "…I know my parents did," he says, looking sad.

"What happened?" Ruby asks, worried about the answer.

Ren swipes away some dust on a stone, revealing claw marks in the rock, "What always happens…" he answers.

"…The Grimm," Jaune notes.

"…Not just anyone," Ren says, clenching his fists.

Ruby looks at Nora, then back to Ren, "…One?" she asks.

Just then, several birds fly out of the trees outside the village and pass over them.

"Come on, let's just get through here. This place gives me the creeps," Jaune says as he starts walking ahead.

The others soon follow, with Ruby looking back one more time before they head deeper into the village.

…

Meanwhile, somewhere in a forest south of Ruby's group, Velvet Crowe is running through the tree line, her pendant glowing red and pointing directly north.

"Come on, where are you Ruby? Oh, please be okay. Please, make it in time!" Velvet mutters to herself as she continues running to where her pendant points to.

…

Back in the village, Ruby's group walk through to the center of the village, but then feel an ominous breeze blow by, making Ren stop. The other stop and stare at him, while he closes his eyes. A moment later, he takes out his pistols, prompting the others to draw theirs out as well. They slowly look around, feeling something…twisted…heading straight for them. A few seconds later, they look back in time to see someone jump high into the air and then land in the village to their left. The individual is a pale man with gold eyes and a brown ponytail braided to resemble a scorpion's tail. He's wearing a white sleeveless jacket with leather belts strapped to it, along with white pants. His jacket is left open, exposing his bare chest, which is crisscrossed with prominent scars. His arms are covered with purple bandages and leather vambraces. He's also wearing leather boots covering his entire shin with knee guards. On each earlobe is a silver, ring-shaped earring, and near the top of his left ear is another matching earring. Finally, he has on a dark brown jacket opened up to reveal his chest. Tyrian Callows. Tyrian shows a wide smile and cocks his arms back, with a pair of pincer blades forming on his vambraces.

Tyrian runs at the group, but Magilou is the first to retaliate by conjuring up a wall of fire to block his advance. With him stopped, Ren and Nora go for a pincer attack on his sides. However, Tyrian is ready for them, and block both of their attacks with his blades. He then kicks Nora away and goes for Ren, swinging his right blades around and making Ren lean back, only to get a double drop kick to the face, sending him back. Tyrian jumps high over the flames and drops down towards Ruby. But before he can attack her, Magilou makes one of her cards grow in size and length and swings it wide, smacking him away. Tyrian lands back on the ground, only for Jaune to come in and swing his sword down at him. Tyrian smirks and easily steps out of the way from the swing and then spin kicks him in the face, staggering him. He then knocks him to the ground with a pair of strikes from his blades. Ruby tries to help, but Tyrian laughs and deflects her scythe away and then spins around with his blades out, with one of them striking Ruby's arm. He goes for another attack, but Magilou conjures up a large card to block the strike.

Tyrian growls and goes after her this time, but Magilou hops onto one of her cards and flies out of his way. She then pulls out three more cards and sends them flying at Tyrian. Tyrian slices through one, but it explodes in his face, making him stumble back with just enough time to regain himself and evade the other two. Magilou conjures another arte, a ball of fire it seems, and launches it at Tyrian. However, Tyrian rolls under it and charges at her. Magilou gets ready to defend herself, but then Jaune intervenes to stop him. Tyrian jumps up and clamps his body down on Jaune's shield, getting right in his face and smiling gleefully. Ruby comes in, swinging her scythe at him, but Tyrian jumps off to dodge her strike and then kicks her away. Nora and Ren get back into it, but as Nora swings her hammer at him, but Tyrian deflects the swing and slashes her side, followed by a spin kick at Ren. Luckily, Magilou gets the drop on him and throws one card close up that nails him. This pushes him back, but when she throws more cards at him, he jumps high into the air, crashing into one tall building and balancing himself on the wooden support beams inside.

"Listen pal, what's the big idea attacking us out of nowhere like this?!" Magilou yells.

"Who are you?" Ren asks.

Tyrian just smiles and falls to the ground, landing on his feet in front of them and stands up.

"Who I am matters not to you. Or you," he begins, pointing at Ren and Nora. "Or…Well, YOU do interest me," he says, pointing at Jaune, which makes him nervous. "And there is definitely something about you that is rather peculiar," Tyrian notes about Magilou.

"I'll take that as a compliment, but if not," Magilou says, floating one card on her left index finger for emphasis.

"No, no, I only matter…To YOU," Tyrian finishes, pointing straight at Ruby who stands behind everyone, making them look back at her.

"…Me?" Ruby asks, confused.

"Well, someone sure is popular," Magilou mutters.

Tyrian starts laughing crazily, "Hahahaha! You, you haven't the slightest clue, do you? Oh, how exciting this must be!" he laughs, holding his head in his left hand.

"…What do you want?" she asks.

Tyrian gasps dramatically, "The rose has thorns! My little flower, I'm here to wisk you away with me," he says dramatically.

"Well, what if she doesn't want to go with you?" Nora says as she stands defensively in front of Ruby.

Tyrian drops his left arm, "Well, I'll take her," he says.

Jaune steps in front of Ruby and Nora, "We're NOT going to let you do that," he says.

"Sorry, dude, but she's already taken. You'll just have to find someone else, that si if there's anyone in this world that would be interested in a crazy psychopath like you," Magilou notes.

Tyrian chuckles, "You want crazy…then you got it," Tyrian mutters, and then a second later, he's right behind Magilou.

"Magilou!" Ren yells out and fires his pistols at Jaune.

Jaune uses his shield to bounce the rounds off the shield and at Tyrian. Tyrian blocks the rounds with his blades, giving Magilou the chance to conjure up another arte, this time a large ball of dark energy at the ground in between them. It expands and surges at Tyrian, forcing him to jump back. Ruby comes in and swings her scythe at him, but Tyrian flips over the swing and kicks her away. Jaune tries to help her, but Tyrian jumps onto his shield and swings his blades at him, hitting Jaune twice and then pushes off of him, making Jaune stagger a bit. Behind the battle, Ruby readies her scythe and takes aim. Magilou goes for a little magic trick and creates a small flock of birds around Tyrian, their feathers flying all around his face. This gives Nora the chance to swing her mace at him, but he ducks under the swing just in time. He goes for a roundhouse kick that sends her flying back onto the ground and then decides to go finish her off. However, Ruby smiles as she aims her weapon, loaded with lightning Dust rounds and fires a shot that flies by Tyrian's head, hitting Nora instead. Nora falls to the ground in a cloud of dust, while Tyrian looks on in disbelief, lightly slapping his face with his right hand.

Tyrian explodes in laughter, but Ruby just smiles.

"Hahahaha! Well, if that isn't ironic," he says, not knowing what's really going on.

Everyone gets back on their feet, and Tyrian loses his smile, feeling something is wrong. Behind him, Nora stands up as lightning courses around her body thanks to her semblance, and she smiles. Swinging her hammer around, she shoots up to Tyrian's right side, and then swings it down on him hard, causing a large explosion of dust to cover them. Everyone else covers their eyes for a moment before looking ahead as the dust clears. What they see…is Tyrian blocking Nora's hammer…with a large scorpion tail protruding from his lower back through his jacket.

Tyrian giggles, "Surprise," he says.

Tyrian then uses his tail to push Nora's weapon back, spinning around to kick her twice, knocking her back. Tyrian then removes his jacket before back-flipping high into the air to land on top of one of the old buildings, snickering.

"He's…a Faunus," Ren says in surprise as he stands next to Jaune.

Ruby steps up, "What is this about?! The White Fang?! Roman Torchwick?!" Ruby shouts.

'Or are you just some kind of crazed pedophile for going after Ruby?!" Magilou asks, which makes Ruby give her a creeped-out expression. "Just asking," Magilou defends herself.

"Plastic soldiers and pawns. My heart and belong only to our goddess," he says, raising his arms in the air.

"Cinder…" Ruby mutters with hate.

Tyrian grunts in disgust, "Hmph. Only in her wildest dreams!' Tyrian retorts, before launching himself at them again.

Magilou creates another card wall to block him, forcing him to push off the wall and land in front of the group. After he lands, he activates his pincer blades again and charges at them. Ruby spins her scythe around a few times as he gets close, and swings it down at him, but Tyrian blocks the strike with his left pincer blades and moves it around to strike her with his right blades. Jaune comes in to push him back, but Tyrian ends up spinning atop his shield with his blades and then jumps off to kick Nora away when she tries to help him. Magilou holds three cards between the fingers on her right hand and extends them at Tyrian, making lean back to avoid them. He goes to strike them away, but Magilou retracts her cards, allowing Ren to jump in and swing the blades on his pistols at him. Tyrian jumps back, but then swings his tail around to deflect a strike from Jaune's sword, followed by a kick to his chest to knock him back. Tyrian goes after Ren, who fires his pistols at him, but Tyrian evades the bullets and swings his pincer blades at him a few times. Ren manages to dodge them, but then Tyrian continues the assault with a few jabs of his stinger at his head. Ren manages to barely avoid them, but can't avoid a swing of Tyrian's tail that sends him flying.

Outside the village, a lone crow flies in towards the entrance, and a short distance behind the crow, a second individual runs across the ground with a glowing pendant that glows brighter with every step.

Magilou conjures up another wall of flames to block Tyrian's advance, and then makes the flames turn into a fire tornado that spins towards him. Tyrian has to jump back and run around the area as the fire tornado follows him. However, he is eventually able to run around it to go after Magilou. Ruby and Nora block his path, but Tyrian slides under their weapons while striking at their legs, and then jumps after Magilou. Magilou jumps back, her fire tornado dissipating, and then creates a wall of water to block Tyrian's next attack. She then uses the water wall to push him back. Tyrian lands and actually grits his teeth in frustration at this. He charges at her again, and she creates another wall of water. However, Tyrian jumps and spins in the air like a drill with his blades out front, and he somehow manages to pierce through the wall of water. Magilou is a little surprised by this, but jumps back when he tries to take her down. Nora and Jaune come in to help, but Tyrian wraps his tail around Nora's hammer and swings her around to crash into Jaune. Ruby gets back into the fight, but Tyrian quickly overwhelms her with a few more strikes from his pincer blades.

In another part of the village, the crow from earlier runs past some buildings, only for Qrow Branwen to suddenly appear in its place, running towards the center of the village.

Ruby takes two more strikes from Tyrian's pincers, and then Tyrian swings his tail at her, sending her flying into the air while separating her from her scythe. Tyrian runs to meet her on the ground, but Magilou interrupts him by conjuring another arte and sending out some lightning bolts at him while simultaneously sending out a flying card to catch Ruby and bring her safely to the ground. Tyrian gets a little electrocuted by the arte, but he pushes through it and jumps into the air to swing his pincer blades at Magilou. Magilou does her best to avoid the attacks, but close range combat like this has never been her specialty. At one point, Tyrian manages to get around her defense and spin kicks her out of his way, and then goes right back at Ruby. Ruby manages to get back on her feet, but Tyrian jumps over her and lands in front of her. He then spins around and throws a hard kick into her abdomen that takes out the rest of her aura and sends her to the ground. Qrow jumps and lands on top of one nearby building and sees Ruby in deep trouble as Tyrian looms over her, while the others are hurt and unable to help. Just as he's about to intervene, he hears something behind him and looks to see a familiar face racing through the village towards the fight. Ruby struggles to get up and sees Tyrian standing over her, eyes turning purple and laughing with an evil grin. He sends his tail at her to finish her off, but then…suddenly a large demon claw comes out of nowhere and grabs his tail, stopping it in place. Tyrian looks shocked, but Ruby stares in surprise…before tears of joy start to fall from her eyes. Standing between her and Tyrian…is her girlfriend, Velvet Crowe.

Velvet smiles at Ruby, "Hey there…"

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Velvet has finally found Ruby, and just managed to save her from Tyrian. Now Tyrian is in for a fight…because no one messes with Velvet's girl. We may also see how far Velvet's training with her piece of the Maiden's power has taken her. How will Velvet fair against Tyrian? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	62. Chapter 62: A Therion's Return

**Here we are at Chapter 62. Been a while, huh. Just another heads up, I got a new job so updates will be slower than normal, but I'll get them in ASAP. Anyway, let's see the battle between Velvet Crowe and Tyrian Callows. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 62. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 62: A Therion's Return**

Velvet flings Tyrian's tail back, making him slide back across the ground while Velvet deactivates her demon claw. Velvet narrows her eyes at Tyrian for a moment before her expression softens and she glances back at Ruby.

"Don't worry Ruby. I'm here now. I won't let this guy hurt you," Velvet says before focusing back on Tyrian.

"Velvet…" Ruby mutters with a smile.

"Finally decided to join the party, huh? You sure took your sweet time," Magilou notes.

"Had to take care of some stuff," Velvet replies.

Tyrian then chuckles, "Heh-heh-heh, well isn't this a treat. If it isn't Velvet Crowe. Cinder mentioned you. Perhaps you'll be more fun to play with then these weaklings," he says.

Velvet glances at Magilou and Ruby, who is being helped back onto her feet by the former.

"Beats me. This guy is just about as crazy as you were back in the day," Magilou notes.

Velvet looks back to Tyrian, "Look, bub, I don't know what's going on here, but you'd better leave my girlfriend alone," she warns him, activating her arm blade.

"Heh-heh-heh, why my dear, my name is Tyrian, and I'm afraid that is not possible. You see, my assignment from her grace was to retrieve the Silver-eyed girl, so that is what I must do. One does not upset the queen," Tyrian says, hand on his chest.

"Queen?" Ruby says in confusion.

"Salem…" Velvet says.

"Who now?" Magilou asks.

"I think we've had enough talk now, don't you?" Tyrian asks, before crouching on all fours.

Velvet takes a stance, "Bring it," she taunts him.

Tyrian lunges at her, but Velvet parries two of his strikes with her arm blade. She then flips into the air while activating her foot blades and swings them down at Tyrian, who backflips to avoid them. The two runs at each other, jumping into the air to swing their blades at one another. Landing on the ground, Velvet turns around and fires off some shots at Tyrian who runs around the area to avoid them. He then charges at her, which she responds to in kind. When they get close, Velvet spins her arm blade around at Tyrian, who rolls under the swing and then throws a kick at Velvet who blocks it. Velvet counterattacks with a left spin kick at Tyrian, followed by a right hook kick, and then finishes it up with a roundhouse kick aimed at his skull. Tyrian manages to dodge all three attacks, and then launches his stinger at her. Velvet quickly leans back to avoid it and then backflips away to get some distance. She fires off a few more shots, but Tyrian zips around each of them as he nears her. The two clash their blades against one another, sparks flying from the steel. Velvet narrows her eyes and then activates her right foot blade, swinging it upwards at Tyrian, and forcing him to jump back. Tyrian then smiles and cocks his gauntlets, causing a pair of gun barrels to appear on each. He then fires them off, machinegun-type weapons, at Velvet. Velvet activates her demon claw and then uses her semblance to create a claw shield to block to bullets.

"Ooooh, that's a neat little trick," Tyrian says before he tries to run around the shield while still firing off his guns.

During this, Magilou conjures up an arte and fires off a ball of fire energy at Tyrian. Tyrian sees it coming and jumps over the attack. Ren and Nora try to move in to attack, only for Magilou to create a wall of fire between them and Tyrian, and they look back at her.

"Better to stay out of this one. This is Velvet's fight. Trust me, she can handle this," Magilou explains.

"But-," Ruby is about to say before Magilou puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, if there's one thing I know, it's that when Velvet wants to beat the crap out of someone, she won't stop until she gets what she wants. She'll be fine. Besides, she's not exactly the same Velvet back from Beacon," Magilou says.

"…Huh?" Ruby mutters, confused.

Back in the fight, Velvet and Tyrian clash their blades again, only for Velvet to activate her Maiden power, flames erupting from her right eye. She creates a ball of fire in her left hand and blasts Tyrian with it at close range. Tyrian is hurt, but shakes it off, though he's still surprised by the attack. He recognizes that power.

"…You have the power of a Maiden. Oooh, this truly is an auspicious day. To think, I've found both the Silver-eyed girl and the Spring Maiden all on the same day. The queen will be pleased," Tyrian laughs a bit.

"Spring Maiden?" Jaune asks.

"Hate to break it to you, Tyrian, but I'm not the Spring Maiden. What I have…is a part of the Fall Maiden's power," Velvet admits.

"Fall Maiden?" Ren asks now.

Tyrian loses his smile, "What? But how…Cinder. Hmpf. That fool still couldn't get the job done right. Well, no matter, if it's only a piece of it, then it won't make much of a difference," Tyrian says before he lunges at Velvet again.

Velvet uses her power to coat her arm blade in flames, running two fingers across the blade. With the boost, she swings her arm blade at Tyrian, who is surprised by the attack and goes on the defensive. The two exchange blade strikes across the center of the village, sparks of fire flying everywhere each time their blades clash. At one point, Tyrian sends his tail out and wraps around Velvet's right arm and forcing it away to keep the flames at bay. Tyrian goes for a few strikes with his pincer blades, but Velvet activates her demon claw again and conjures up a fire arte and slams it into the ground. The blast separates the two, and when Tyrian looks up, Velvet jumps through the smoke and kicks him in the chest, sending him rolling across the ground.

Qrow watches the fight from his perch, "Incredible, she has a piece of the Fall Maiden's power, and yet she's using it better than even Amber did when she first got it. But how did she get it, and how did she learn how to do all that?" Qrow mutters.

Back in the fight, Velvet activates her demon claw again and takes out an ice Dust crystal, absorbing it into her arm. Tyrian growls a bit, but then shoot over at her as he smirks. Velvet swings her claw, sending out several ice shards at Tyrian, Tyrian spins around, using his tail to smash through most of them while dodging the rest. Velvet comes in, ice spikes coating her claw, and swings it at him. Tyrian blocks with his blades, but then notices them starting to freeze on him, and has to jump back before the frost spreads to his arms. Velvet comes in again and thrusts her arm blade at him, but Tyrian moves his head aside to dodge it. He swings his left pincer blades at her, but Velvet blocks with her demon claw, grabbing his arm and starts absorbing his strength. Tyrian kicks her away, but feels a little off from the power drain. Velvet deactivates her demon claw and runs at him again. She thrusts her arm blade at him again, but he parries it with his right pincer blades. The two jump around until they get close to one building. Velvet activates her foot blades and swings him around with her arm blade in a tempest of steel at Tyrian. Tyrian goes on the defensive and gets pushed against the wall of the building, but then ducks when she swings her blades at him, and she ends up damaging the wall instead. Tyrian swings his tail at her, but Velvet jumps over it, landing on his head, and then jumps up onto the half-finished roof of the building. Tyrian jumps after her and fire his guns at her in mid-air. Velvet backflips away from the shots, balancing herself on the support beams of the roof.

"Is that all?" Velvet taunts him.

Tyrian growls a bit, but then lunges at her with his blades. Velvet parries a few strikes with her arm blade, and then counters with an upward swing of her weapon. Tyrian jumps back, and then Velvet activates her Maiden power to send out a few fire shots at him. Tyrian manages to dodge each of them, but two shots hit the support beams and set them on fire. Tyrian and Velvet glance on as the fires spread to other support beams and practically surround them in flames.

"Velvet!" Ruby yells.

Velvet runs at Tyrian and clashes her arm blade against his pincer blades, but Tyrian thrusts his stinger at her, which she narrowly avoids. Tyrian pushes her off and she loses her balance and begins to fall. However, she activates her foot blades and uses them to grab onto one support beam that isn't on fire yet and uses her momentum to swing back around and land back on her feet. The support beams around them that are on fire start to give out, and Velvet jumps up as Tyrian falls, only for Tyrian to send out his tail and wrap around her left leg, bringing her down with him. The others look on in worry and fear, but a moment later, Velvet bursts out of one side of the building, her demon claw out and used as a shield to protect her. She slides across the ground on her feet to a stop and watches as the rest of the building comes down, with Tyrian jumping out at the last second. Taking out a lightning Dust crystal, Velvet absorbs it, and then smashes her claw into the ground, sending out a burst of lightning at Tyrian. Tyrian jumps over the attack, only to get kicked aside by Velvet who was right behind it. Staggering a bit, Tyrian regains his balance and fires his guns at her again. Velvet creates another claw shield to block the bullets. Tyrian runs at her and jumps over the claw shield to swing his tail at her. It manages to hit her, and then he goes for a blade strike at her face. Luckily, Velvet manages to grab it with her claw and then activates her foot blades. Keeping him close, Velvet starts throwing kick after kick at Tyrian, who dodges them and responds with several thrusts of his tail. The two do this dance of dodge and strike for a few moments, each trying to trip the other up and then go in for the kill shot.

After dancing with each other for a few moments, Velvet has had enough and head-butts Tyrian in the face. Letting go of his right arm and deactivating her claw, Velvet backflip kicks him away. Tyrian rolls across the ground back onto his feet and holds his face a bit.

"Now you're starting to annoy me," Tyrian growls at her.

"Get in line," Velvet retorts.

Tyrian rushes at her again, but Velvet shoves her arm blade into the ground and then swings it up, sending some dust and dirt into Tyrian's vision. Tyrian covers his eyes, but Velvet uses this chance to get a slash in on his torso. She goes for another one, but Tyrian deflects the attack with his tail and then jump kicks her away. Velvet regains her footing and runs at him again, who responds in kind. The two clash their blades and push against one another.

"Magilou, now!" Velvet shouts.

"You got it!" Magilou replies before sending out a ball of energy at them.

At the last second, Velvet ducks low as the ball flies over her and nails Tyrian, taking out the rest of his aura and knocking him back. Tyrian stumbles a bit from the blast, disoriented. Meanwhile, Velvet activates her claw one more time and conjures up a fire arte before firing it at Tyrian. The attack hits the ground right in front of Tyrian and sends him flying onto the ground.

"Have you finally realized that you can't beat me, or the rest of us? You're outgunned and outnumbered, so give up," Velvet demands.

Tyrian chuckles a bit, "You don't get it, do you? The queen gave me an objective and I will complete that objective no matter what gets in my way. So, after I kill you, I'm going to kill your friends, and then I'm going to take the little flower and bring her back to my queen," he says.

"Fat chance of that happening. Give up now…or I'll eat you," Velvet threatens him, raising her demon claw at him.

Tyrian smirks before he charges at her again. Velvet does the same and prepares her claw. When they get close, Velvet swings her claw at him, but Tyrian jumps over the strike and swings his tail at the back of Velvet's head, managing to land a blow. He aims his guns at her and fires, but Velvet jumps high into the air to evade them, spinning in mid-air as she falls towards Tyrian. Tyrian swings his pincer blades at her, and she blocks them with her foot blades before landing back on the ground. Tyrian thrusts his stinger at her a few times, each time Velvet moves her head side to side to dodge it and ending it with a backhand strike from her claw to knock the stinger away. Velvet attacks with her claw again, and Tyrian tries to stop her with his pincer blades, but the claw is too big and wraps around his left arm, the blades doing little to stop her. Velvet pulls hard and then flings her arm around to throw Tyrian into the air. She jumps after him, her arm blade engaging and making a few swings at Tyrian, followed by a hard strike from her claw that knocks him to the ground. When Velvet lands, she sees Tyrian's aura shimmering a bit around his body, a sign of it receiving heavy damage.

Velvet deactivates her demon claw, "You're done," she notes.

Tyrian growls in anger and runs at her once more, thrusting his stinger at her. However, before it gets close, a large blade comes down and slices the stinger clear off. Tyrian shouts in excruciating pain at losing a piece of his tail. Everyone looks to see that the culprit is none other than Qrow Branwen, his blade out and ready for battle.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby shouts for joy.

"Quite a display you showed there, claw girl. You've definitely improved since I last saw you," Qrow notes as he looks at Velvet.

"Took you long enough to join in," Velvet notes, hand on her hip.

"Arrgh!" Tyrian yells in pain, getting their attention. "You bastard! It just had to be you, Qrow Branwen. You're gonna pay for this!" Tyrian yells. However, when he tries to limp towards them, he sees the others join their side. Realizing that he can't handle Velvet Crowe, Qrow Branwen, and these kids all by himself in his weakened state, Tyrian has only one choice: retreat. "She'll forgive you…" he mutters before he runs for the hills and leaves the village.

Now that the battle is finally over, Velvet breathes a heavy breath, a little tired from the long run and the fight with Tyrian. She turns around, but just as she does, Ruby crashes into her, wrapping her arms around her body and holding her head close to her chest. Velvet is a little surprised by this, but smiles warmly and returns the loving embrace.

"Sorry it took me so long to get back. I had been looking for you for a while now. That's all I could think about…Getting back to you…Ruby…could you say something please?" Velvet asks.

Ruby sniffles a little bit, but then finally says only one word, "…Velvet…" she mutters, causing Velvet to raise an eyebrow. "…Velvet…Velvet…Velvet…Velvet…" Ruby keeps repeating the name like a mantra as tears of joy fall from her eyes.

Velvet smiles a little more and hold her tighter, "That's right…I'm back, and this time I'm here for good," she says and then looks to Magilou who's standing a few feet away, a huge grin on her face. "One word and you're dead," Velvet threatens her.

Magilou playfully winces a bit, "Oooh, excuse me if I forget to be scared…It's good to see you back on your feet Velvet. It's been a while," she says.

"Yes, yes it has," Velvet replies.

"Okay, can someone explain what's going on? Who was that guy?" they look at Nora who speaks.

"Yeah, how did you guys get here?" Ren asks Velvet and Qrow.

"Why are people after Ruby? And what's this talk about Velvet being a Maiden?" Jaune asks this time.

Ruby and Velvet separate and then look to Qrow," Uncle Qrow, what's going on?" Ruby asks.

Qrow looks at them, "Well, I've got questions for your girlfriend here, but as for yours, kid…What's your favorite fairytale?" he ask, and then sighs.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. A little short, but that's as far as I could take it for this chapter. I couldn't think of anything else to add here. Anyway, Velvet and Ruby are finally reunited, and Velvet kicked Tyrian to the curve (with a little help from Magilou). Now the questions will rise, and answers will be revealed, from both Qrow and Velvet. How will the others handle the truths they are about to reveal? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	63. Chapter 63: Samurai vs Ninja

**Here we are at Chapter 63. This chapter takes place a little before the events of the previous two chapters. Since it's been a while since we last saw them, let's see how Blake and Rokurou are doing in Menagerie. Time for Blake's first lesson with the demon samurai. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 63. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 63: Samurai vs Ninja**

It is early in the morning in Menagerie. Blake had already woken up a little earlier and is now walking to the back of the Belladonna household. However, as she does, she hears some noise coming from out back and decides to check it out. Walking out to behind the building, she comes across Rokurou in the large open backyard, shirt off and practicing some sword techniques with a bokken. And from the amount of sweat she can she dripping down his body, he's been at it for a while.

"You're up early," Blake notes as she walks up to him.

"…The early bird catches the worm, as they say. Gotta keep my skills sharp, or else I'll rust like an old blade. And that's a real waste," Rokurou says while swinging his bokken up and down.

"But if you work out too much, you'll burn out and exhaust yourself. I've seen students at Beacon who were like that," Blake notes, crossing her arms.

"Well, at least they're working hard. Speaking of which…" Rokurou says before he stops and stares at Blake.

The stare starts to unnerve her a bit, "W-what is it?" she asks.

Rokurou shakes his head, "Oh, nothing. I'll catch ya later," he says before getting his stuff and heading inside for a quick bath. _"Guess it's time for her training session. She hasn't gotten rusty, but she also hasn't gotten stronger. Luckily, I know just how to fix that."_

…

Later in the day, Rokurou is having some sake that he brought in the dining room. A moment later, Ghira enters the room and goes to sit down across from him, with a serious look on his face.

"What's up Mr. Belladonna? Care for a drink?" Rokurou offers.

"No thank you, I'm fine. I was hoping to have a talk with you about something," Ghira says.

Rokurour finishes another cup, "Okay, shoot," Rokurou replies.

"When you arrived here, you said you were helping my daughter because of a debt you owed to one of her teammates. First off, I'm curious, what was this debt exactly?" Ghira asks.

Rokurou reaches up and pulls out Kurogane Stormquell a little bit from its sheathe, "She helped me recover my partner here. A blade is a warrior's life, and I would've been nothing without it. As such, I owed her a great debt and was in her service until that debt had been repaid. We travelled together for a while, taking care of some personal business for each of us, until we managed to take care of some things that Velvet needed to get done. We got…separated after that, and I didn't get a chance to finish repaying my debt. So, I've just been travelling around the world, sharpening my skills, until I meet your daughter and find out that she was friends with Velvet. It was actually a little shocking to here that she went to school and got accepted into Beacon Academy to become a huntress. So, I decided to help Blake out as a means of repaying my debt to Velvet. It's a matter of honor," Rokurou explains as he sheathes his sword.

"I see. But Blake told me that Velvet Crowe went missing after the Fall of Beacon. Aren't you worried about whether or not she's still alive? Try to even look for her as well?" Ghira asks.

"Velvet's not dead. I've been with her long enough to know that she won't go down that easily. Not after everything she's been through. I'm not worried about it either. I'll see her soon enough, and when I do, she'll be stronger than when we last met. I just know it. I don't need to try to look for her, either. Soon enough, we'll meet each other again," Rokurou calmly notes. _"Especially since I already saw her before I came to this world."_

"You're really that confidant in her abilities. Now then, why would you help my daughter? What she to you?" Ghira asks seriously.

"I'd like to think we've become friends. On a more personal note, I kind of feel bad for her weapon, Gambol Shroud," Rokurou notes.

"Her weapon? May I ask why?" Ghira asks, confused now.

"I hate seeing a good blade get wasted like the way she's been doing it lately. She's been running from her problems, rather than facing them. Actions like that bring shame to her weapon. She has a fine blade, but at this rate, it'll turn into nothing but a paperweight if she doesn't stand up and fight for herself, or for those she cares about," Rokurou says.

Ghira starts to get a little irritated, "I don't appreciate you criticizing my daughter like that. My daughter is not a coward. She may have a few…quirks, but she is a brave young woman. She has faced her past time and time again whenever she went against the White Fang back in Vale," Ghira retorts.

"And yet after suffering such a big loss like the Fall of Beacon, she left her friends behind and came running here. Now I'm not exactly one to talk. There are plenty of things that I've done in the past that aren't exactly noble. I'm well aware that I can be a real jerk. However…I've never turned my back on my friends. If they're in trouble, then I'll be right there to back them up…And I know that Blake's teammates, her friends, need her…Now more than ever," Rokurou counters.

"What do you mean by that?" Ghira asks regarding his last words.

Rokurou sips one last drink, "It's nothing. Anyway, like I said, I hate seeing a good blade go to waste. In a little bit, could you tell Blake to meet me out back? And tell her to bring her weapon with her. Thank you," Rokurou says before he takes his leave.

Ghira just watches him go, now with more questions than when the conversation began.

…

Later that day, Blake heads out back after seeing her father, and him giving her Rokurou's message, to find Rokurou sitting out in a meditative stance in the backyard.

"You bring your blade?" Rokurou asks as he opens his eyes to her.

Blake pulls out her blade, "Yeah, but why?" she asks.

Rokurou stands up and draws his swords, "Because it's time for some training. Of which you are way late on. That blade of yours isn't made for display. It's made for combat, and I ain't letting it go to waste. Now get in here and let's get started," Rokurou says.

Blake sighs, "I'm sorry, but I'm not really in the mood. I've just got a lot on my mind now. I don't have time to waste on pointless training right now," she dismisses him.

However, Rokurou narrows his eyes and a second later, he's already in front of Blake, low to the ground and right blade reeled back. Blake has barely enough time to raise her blade to block as Rokurou swings his blade at her right side and sends her flying into the backyard. Blake rolls on the ground before getting back onto her feet.

"That wasn't a request. You don't get to just walk away after one bad loss. Trust me, I know that better than anyone," Rokurou says, getting a little serious now.

Seeing that he's not going to simply let her go, Blake gets into her stance and readies her weapon. Rokurou smirks a bit before he runs at her again, this time both blades pulled back around his body. Blake jumps into the air when he swings both at her, and switches her blade to its chain-scythe form, taking a few shots at him. Rokurou easily deflects the shots with his blades. Blake falls and uses her semblance to jump around at him, switching back to her blade mode and swings it down at Rokurou. Rokurou blocks the strike with his right blade before he pushes Blake off of him and she lands on her feet. Rokurou comes and starts making a few swings at her. Blake tries to dodge and evade each strike, but she is having trouble. Rokurou swings his left blade down at her and she raises her sword to block it, but finds herself straining against his heavy, but fast and strong swings.

 _"Unbelievable. His swords are so huge, and yet he swings them around like they weigh nothing, not to mention how strong each blow feels…It reminds me of whenever Ruby swings her scythe around. She's so small, her weapon is so big, and yet she swings it around without breaking a sweat,"_ Blake thinks.

"You'll have to do better than that," Rokurou says before he kicks her in the torso, and sends her flying. "A blade is made for battle. If you're not going to use it, then why did you build it in the first place?" he asks.

Blake gets back on her feet, "I made it to fight for the Faunus, and then it was for the people as a huntress. I want to protect people," Blake retorts.

But Rokurou is right on her once again, "And yet, you ran away," he says before spinning around to swing his swords at her again.

Blake uses her semblance to dodge them, and then pulls out her sheathe blade. However, Rokurou quickly swings his right sword upwards at her and knocks her sheathe blade out of her hand. Rokurou swings around to swing his left sword down at her, but she uses her semblance to avoid it and jump sideways, only to narrowly avoid a thrust of his right blade aimed at her face. Rokurou smirks again before he makes a series of more slashes at her. Knowing that blocking them won't work for her, Blake focuses on dodging his strikes with her speed. At one point, Rokurou uses one technique to zip across the ground at Blake, making three slashes with fire trailing behind him. Blake dodges the first two, but gets hit by the third. Rokurou then appears behind her and kicks her in the side, sending her crashing into a tree.

"I can practically smell your fear, and your guilt. You believe it's your fault what happened to your teammates? What happened to Yang?" Rokurou asks.

Blake looks up, eyes wide, "How…How do you know that?" she asks fearfully.

"My business. You try to distance yourself from your friends, and yet you never stop thinking about them. Those are just the actions of a cowardly hypocrite. I pity your blade," Rokurou retorts.

Blake slowly stands up, "What are you talking about?" she asks.

Rokurou suddenly disappears and then reappears right in front of her, swinging his right sword down on her, which she has no choice but to block.

"Your Gambol Shroud is an amazing blade, no doubt about it, but it's wasted on someone like you. Someone who's afraid to go out there and fight for what she believes in. For the people she cares about! Is that the kind of person you are, Blake?!" Rokurou asks before he kicks her away again.

"No, it's not like that! I'm not like that!" Blake retorts desperately.

"Then what are you?!" Rokurou says before he charges at her again.

Blake jumps around to avoid his attacks, "I didn't want them to get hurt because of me, and yet they did. My past hurt them. It's better if I'm not around. As long as I'm not near them, they'll be safe!" she retorts as she tries to take a swing at him.

Rokurou easily dodges it and deflects another strike from her blade, "And who's to say the White Fang still won't go after them even if you're not there? Or those responsible for the Fall of Beacon? Or how about this, what if your friends decide to go after those who attacked Vale and Beacon. How are they going to be safe if you're not there to back them up?!" Rokurou says before he uses another technique that deals an electric shock to Blake after he lands another blow.

Blake falls to the ground, low on aura and strength from the onslaught, both physical and emotional.

"What are you talking about? Why would they go after the White Fang?" Blake asks as she gets onto her hands and knees.

"I'm not talking about the White Fang. I'm talking about the people pulling the White Fang's strings. You don't think your teammates, like your leader Ruby, is going to go after them?" Rokurou asks.

"But she can't! What about Yang after she…after she…" Blake's retort falters as memories of what happened to her partner flood her mind.

Rokurou sighs and sheathes his swords, "You're not even worth it at this point. You say that you left to protect them, but really, you did it to protect yourself from the pain of having to face your past, or the pain of seeing your friends hurt. That's not how a warrior acts, that how a coward acts," Rokurou notes, looking down on her.

Blake lowers her head in shame, thinking that deep down, he's right. She left to protect her friends, but maybe it was only for her own sake, not theirs.

"Leave her alone!" they hear someone yell, only to see Sun jump into the fray and attack Rokurou with his staff. Rokurou draws his swords and blocks the attack. "Blake is not a selfish coward! She has always cared about her friends!" Sun yells in anger.

Rokurou grunts and pushes Sun away before moving across the ground in a zig-zag formation, swinging his blades each time he gets close to Sun. Sun blocks the attacks, but soon enough finds himself on the defensive. Blake watches them fight, helpless to help Sun in anyway.

"Sun, please stop, don't fight him!" Blake pleads.

"I don't see how this is any of your concern, Sun," Rokurou notes as he parries a few attacks from Sun's staff.

Sun twirls his staff around before turning it into its nun-chuck forms, "Sure, Blake could've just stayed with her friends and continued the fight. But she was only doing what she thought was best for them, even if it was the wrong move to make. She just needs to realize that there are better ways to help her friends, and we need to show her the way!" Sun retorts before he goes back into the fight.

Sun twirls his nun-chucks around, firing off shot after shot. However, Rokurou easily deflects each shot with his blades, making small movements with them like they were shields given their size. At one point, Rokurou thrusts his left blade out, managing to snag one nun-chuck around the blade and pulls it away, out of Sun's hand. He then swings his right sword upwards to knock away the other nun-chuck, leaving Sun defenseless. Rokurou finishes it off with by using one of his mystic arte techniques.

"Rangetsu Style: Heron!" Rokurou yells before he suddenly zips all around Sun, making sword strikes too fast to see and then stopping behind the monkey Faunus.

A second later, Sun falls onto the ground, unconscious.

"Sun!" Blake yells in worry.

Rokurou sheathes his swords again, "Don't worry, he's just knocked out. He'll be fine after getting some rest," he says and goes to pick him up and hoist him onto his left shoulder. "Listen Blake, you need to think about your past actions and decide whether or not they were the right actions to take. Just because we do what we think is right, doesn't mean that it actually IS the right action to take," he says, making Blake think upon his words. "Come on, let's go inside so you two can rest up. I could also use a drink. All that fighting made me thirsty, and a little hungry," he says.

Blake slowly rises to her feet and proceeds inside the house. Rokurou follows her, but stops one moment to glance behind him towards the trees behind the backyard. He narrows his eyes and hums a moment before he continues on. A moment later, a figure lands on top of one of the trees in the forest, wearing a White Fang mask with a pair of horns on it.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. A little short, but what can you do. Rokurou gives Blake a hard lesson, in more ways than one. But if you ask me, she really needed it. I don't tolerate cowardice, and that's why I had problems with Blake for most of the series, and she still has some work to do. Anyway, who was that watching Rokurou, Sun, and Blake? What will happen next? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	64. Chapter 64: Multiple Truths

**Here we are at Chapter 64. Time to see how the other members of Team RVWBY are holding up. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 64. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 64: Multiple Truths**

In the forests of Anima, the members of Ruby's group, along with Velvet and Qrow, sit around a campfire as Qrow explains to them the truth about the Maidens. Ruby sits next to Velvet, with the latter holding her close in her arms after being separated from each other for so long. Meanwhile, Magilou sits next to Jaune.

Qrow finishes a swig of his flask, "Really? No questions?" he asks after explaining everything.

"Of course we have questions. This is just…a lot to take in," Jaune says, a little angry as he lowers his head.

Qrow sighs, "Sure, of course," he says.

"So these…Maidens…They're powerful fighters that don't need Dust to use magic," Ruby says.

"Yeah," Qrow replies.

"And there are four of them?" Nora asks, holding up four fingers.

"Yup. Always," Qrow nods.

"Which means that, whenever one of them dies, the power transfers to someone – a female – that they cared about?" Ren asks.

"Whoever was in their thoughts last. Important distinction. Best option is someone we can trust. Regardless, their souls become combined, in a way," Qrow corrects them.

"And that's what you were trying to do to Pyrrha…The night the tower feel. You were trying to turn her into one of them," Jaune says accusingly.

"The previous Fall Maiden, Amber, had been attacked. She was young, inexperienced. And her assailant, who we now know is Cinder, somehow managed to steal some of her power, but not all of it. We were afraid that if we didn't do something, the rest would go to her as well," Qrow explains.

Jaune looks angry at him, "So you forced it on Pyrrha," he says, eyes narrowed.

"We didn't force ANYTHING. We explained the situation and gave her a choice, and she chose. You were there, you heard her," Qrow says, and then faces Velvet. "Pyrrha wasn't the only one we told about this. When we called Pyrrha, we brought Velvet in as well," he says.

Everyone looks at Velvet, "Velvet? What does he mean?" Ruby asks.

Velvet looks solemnly at her, "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I needed some time to think about things, and then the incident at the Vytal Festival happened," she says.

"Ozpin took an interest in Velvet because of her unique abilities, and knew that she was keeping some secrets from him. We wanted her to help us protect Amber, and Pyrrha if she became the next Fall Maiden. Of course, that didn't go as planned. However, now I have a question, as I'm sure does everyone else. After the Fall of Beacon, you went missing, so I need to ask: what happened to you after the Fall of Beacon?" Qrow asks.

The mood goes silent as Velvet stares at everyone, especially Ruby. Ruby already knows the truth about her, and of course so does Magilou. But she never told the others. However, it appears that can't last any longer.

"Before I tell you what happened to me, I think it best if I tell you something else," Velvet begins.

"What do you mean?" Jaune asks.

"…The truth about who I am…and where I came from," Velvet says.

…

Meanwhile, back in Patch, Yang is laying on her bed in her room. She had been training with Eizen earlier, and is exhausted from the intense workout. Yang raises her right arm to stare at it, flexing it around a bit.

 _"To think that I've gotten so used to this so quickly. Atlas sure wasted no expense in making this thing,"_ Yang thinks before she hears a knock at her door. "Come in," she says. A second later, the door opens to reveal Weiss coming in. "Weiss, what's up?" she asks.

Weiss sighs, "Just needed a little break. Velvet never told me how skilled Eleanor was back in their world," Weiss says as she walks in and closes the door.

"Heh, I hear that. Eizen's punches might be even harder than mine. Trust me, I've been hit by enough of them to know," Yang says before she holds an arm out to her. "Come on, there's plenty of room for the both of us. I'm nice and comfy," Yang offers with a smirk.

Weiss rolls her eyes, "You really are a blonde-haired brute, aren't you," she says, but accepts the gesture and lies down next to Yang, who wraps her left arm around her to pull her close as they snuggle close to one another. "I'll admit, I can get used to this," she says with a slight blush.

"I told you…Hey, do you miss being in Atlas? At home with your family?" Yang asks, knowing that subject is a sensitive one with Weiss.

"The only family I've ever really had there was my sister, Winter, who is in the military, and my butler, Klein, who's been more like a father to me than even my real father. My mother was always too drunk to really care, my little brother is a backstabbing weasel who's always being my father's little pet…and my father doesn't care about anyone other than himself and his money. It took getting beat by Eleanor and Zaveid to figure out what was truly keeping me there than from doing what I truly wanted to do. It wasn't my father holding me back…it was me," Weiss says.

"What do you mean?" Yang asks, getting curious.

"I was afraid of what my father would do if I disobeyed him, but I never realized until much later that I shouldn't be focusing on what he wanted, but on what I wanted. And what I wanted…" Weiss begins before she moves up to kiss Yang fully on the lips. She separates a moment later, seeing a surprised look on Yang's face and smiles. "…Was to be with you. Eleanor helped me realize that. Coming to Beacon helped me realize a lot of things, but you were the first one aside from my sister and Klein to show me true warmth and love before. I admit we didn't get along at first, but you never gave up on me, and helped show me what being part of a real family is like. You were the first one who wanted to be with me for me, not for my name, fame, or money. I will always love that about you. You look to people for who they are, and nothing else. You have no idea how happy that makes me feel," she says as she snuggles back up to Yang.

Yang slowly smiles back, "I told you. I want you to be happy. I don't care about your last name or your money. I care about Weiss Schnee, and that's all," she says.

"Thank you, Yang. Let's just rest up for just a little bit longer, then we should head back downstairs," Weiss suggests.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan," Yang agrees.

A little while later, the two girls return to the living room to find the others sitting around on the couches, having drinks and making light conversation. Zaveid is the first to notice them.

"Hey, took you guys long enough. Done with your little alone time together?" Zaveid teases them.

"We TALKED. That is it, you dolt," Weiss says, already annoyed by him.

"So is a full-fledged kiss a part of that 'talk' as well?" Zaveid asks.

Weiss quickly blushes madly, "W-w-w-w-what are you talking about?!" she stutters.

Eleanor glares at Zaveid, "Zaveid, you didn't use your wind artes to spy on them, did you?" she interrogates him.

"What, I didn't spy on them…much," Zaveid says.

Weiss balls up her fists, "You…you…you…" she mutters in anger and then pulls out her rapier from out of nowhere. "You PEEPING TOM!" She yells in rage as she aims her weapon at him.

Zaveid starts to freak out a bit, "Hey, hey, it was just a joke! No need to explode here, ice queen," he says, hands up in defense.

"I DON'T CARE!" Weiss yells and goes to kill him. Crashing sounds are heard in the house before Zaveid bursts out through the front door to get away, with a livid Weiss on his tail. "Get back her so I can castrate you!" she yells.

Meanwhile, Taiyang, Eleanor, and Eizen watch with semi-worried expressions on their faces. However, Yang just has a smile on her face.

"That's my girl," Yang mutters.

…

Back in Anima, Velvet has just finished telling them truth about her origins to the others. Of course, Ruby already knew, but the others were all having a hard time taking all of that in after what Qrow had just told them. Hell, even Qrow was having a hard time wrapping his head around it, and he's seen plenty of crazy things in his time as a huntsman.

"So, you're…a demon who used to be human?" Jaune asks.

"Yes," Velvet replies, and engages her demon claw. "Back in my world, when a person succumbs to malevolence, they turn into a demon. Usually, they take the form of some kind of monster. However, in the cases of me and my friend Rokurou for the most part, we managed to maintain our human appearances, and our sense of reason. However, I'm different from most demons, a rare breed called a Therion. I eat other demons and become stronger with each demon I consume. I 'eat' them with my claw, absorbing their strength until there is nothing left. Kind of like how I absorb Yang's aura during our sparring match. I absorb their souls, and aura is the manifestation of our souls, so I can absorb it," Velvet explains, then deactivates her claw.

"Okay, but you said you died and then were brought here by Ruby's mother. How can that happen?" Nora asks.

"To be honest, I still don't know myself. It's not like I talk to her all the time, only when she wants to talk. But if she's dead, then I really did die back in my world. Either way, I'm here now, and that's what's important. Summer Rose brought me here to protect Ruby, and I agreed. But as I spent time with her…" Velvet begins before she looks at Ruby. "…I ended up falling in love with her. Something I don't regret for a second. I'm here to protect Ruby under my own will, and that's all that matters to me," Velvet says.

"But…how do you expect us to believe you after telling all of this? Or how you kept this a secret from us for so long. Blake kept her Faunus heritage a secret for a little while, but she told us soon enough. Why couldn't you do the same?" Jaune asks, angry at more secrets being kept from him.

"It's for the same reasons I told Yang, Weiss, and Blake when the time was right. You've lived with Faunus your entire lives, but have you ever lived with a demon that has hurt hundreds of innocent people. Would you still look at me the same way?" Velvet retorts. Jaune just looks away, unable to find a good answer. "Humans fear what's different from them, especially for people in my case. I couldn't have any extra problems getting in my way with watching over Ruby. I don't expect you to like or trust me because of it. What you do with what I've told you is your choice," Velvet adds.

"And that's something that's bothering me a bit," they hear Qrow say and look to him. "You said that you were out for revenge against your brother-in-law, Artorius, for what he did to your little brother, Laphicet. Along the way, you learned what he was really after and stopped him from basically controlling the entire world. However, that's not what's bothering me. What IS bothering me is that during your quest for revenge, you got a lot of innocent people hurt or killed, and some villages were destroyed because of you. Can you expect me to trust you after telling me that?" Qrow asks, narrowing his eyes at Velvet.

Velvet glares right back, "I don't care what you think about me. If you want to fight me, then I'm game anytime. I'm here for Ruby, not you. I don't expect to be forgiven for what I've done, and no amount of atonement will make up for the lives I've ruined. I'm going to Hell, no matter what happens, but I've changed since then. My friends, and Laphicet helped me realize what is really important in life. And I've changed even more since coming to Remnant and meeting Ruby and the others. Ruby knows exactly what I am and what I've done, and yet she still accepted me for who I am. I will always be grateful to her for that…Besides, are you and Ozpin really in any position to judge?" Velvet asks back.

"What are you getting at?" Qrow retorts.

"While I was training with Summer Rose, she told me many things, including the truth about the Maidens, and about Salem," Velvet replies.

"…Salem…" Ruby mutters, remembering Velvet saying that name during her fight with Tyrian.

"You sent you students into a war they never knew they were fighting. You sent nthem against an enemy they never knew existed. You sent them…to their deaths. They chose to become huntsmen, they knew there would be risks…But they didn't know just how great those risks truly were. Now, I've used people to get my way, I won't deny that. But, at least they knew what they were getting into. You and Ozpin and his other followers kept your students in the dark. You can say that it was to protect the Maidens or the world from Salem, but that still doesn't lessen the amount of blood that's on your hands. You're just as guilty of using people for your own ambitions as I am, and you're just as responsible for their deaths as Salem is," Velvet explains. Qrow looks away, clenching his fist. The truth is, Velvet isn't exactly wrong in her argument. Perhaps if they knew more about the real dangers, then some of those students and huntsmen would still be alive today. "However, we can't focus on that now. We need to focus on stopping Salem. And part of that…is getting to Cinder," Velvet says.

"What do you mean?" Ren asks.

Velvet looks at her left hand, "The reason Tyrian called me the Fall Maiden…is because I have a part of the Fall Maiden's power. I absorbed it with my power at the Fall of Beacon, on top of Beacon tower after she…" Velvet trails off, thinking about how Cinder killed Pyrrha. "The fact remains that she still has most of it. But we can't allow her to get all of it. That only leaves one option…for me to become the next Fall Maiden," Velvet declares.

"But why? After everything that's happened, why would you want to become what Ozpin tried to get Pyrrha to become?" Jaune asks.

"Would you rather Cinder remain as the Fall Maiden. I can absorb her power. It's the only way. At least the power of the Fall Maiden will be with someone you know and trust. And after that, we can focus on the real goal…getting the Relics and keeping them out of Salem's hands," Velvet says.

"Wait, first Maidens, then Relics, what's next mystic dragons because we already got one back home," Magilou asks.

"Yeah, what is she talking about?" Ruby asks Qrow.

Qrow sighs, "I guess Summer told you about that as well, huh. Figures…This world's been around for a long time, long enough that people have created dozens of gods. But if you believe Ozpin, two of them are actually real. They were two brothers. The older sibling, the god of light, found joy in creating forces of life. Meanwhile, the younger brother, the god of darkness, spent his time creating forces of destruction. As you can imagine, they both had pretty different ideas about how things should go. The older one would spend his days creating water, plants, wildlife. And at night, his brother would wake to see all the things that the elder had made and become disgusted. To counteract his brother's creations, the god of darkness brought drought, fire, famine, all he could do to rid Remnant of life. Life always returned. So one night, the younger brother went and made something – something that shared his innate desire to destroy anything and everything," Qrow explains.

"The creatures of Grimm," Ruby realizes.

"You guessed it. The older brother finally had enough. Knowing that their feud couldn't last like this forever, he proposed that they make one final creation…together, something that they both could be proud of, their masterpiece. The younger brother agreed. This last great creation would be given the power to both create and destroy. It would be given the gift of knowledge, so that it could learn about itself and the world around it. And most importantly, it would be given the power to choose, to have free will to take everything it had learned and decide which path to follow – the path of light or the path of darkness. And that is how Humanity came to be," Qrow says.

"But…What does that have to do with us?" Ren asks.

"Well, that's the kicker. See, the four gifts to mankind – knowledge, creation, destruction, and choice – aren't just metaphorical. Each of them exists in a physical form, left behind by the gods before they abandoned Remnant, and each of them is extraordinarily powerful. If someone were to collect all four, they'd be able to change the world. That's exactly what the enemy wants. The huntsman academies were created to train generations of Humanity's protectors, but they also serve another purpose – guarding the relics. When Ozpin's predecessor founded the schools, he built them around the relics to act as a fortress. Not only would they be easier to defend, but they would constantly be surrounded by trained warriors. The hope was that hiding them would keep mankind from using them against itself…and, of course, keeping them out of HER reach…So yeah, there's that," he finishes the story.

"Salem…" Ruby says.

"That's right. Not much is known about her. Quite frankly, that's not what matters. What matters right now is that she wants the relics, and if she gets them, it's not going to end well," Qrow says.

"And that's why we need to head to Haven. To find the bad guys, save the academy, and retrieve the Relic. Sounds easy enough," Magilou says.

"But shouldn't we be in more of a hurry to get to Haven?" Nora asks.

"Because it's not that simple. The headmaster at Haven will be on his guard after the Fall of Beacon. We also need to be careful because Salem has now sent people after Ruby and Velvet because of their special powers. If we rush in, we'll get caught under our feet and then we'll be in real trouble. Look, I had the same questions, too. But ol' Ozpin would always put his foot down. 'We can't cause a panic.' Heh, can't tell you how many times I've heard that," Qrow says before taking out his flask again. "Salem's smart. She works from the shadows, using others to get what she wants, so that when it comes time to place the blame, we can only point at each other," he continues before sipping his flask, and then looks up at the broken moon. "She's trying to divide us – humanity, and so far she's doing a pretty dame good job," Qrow says before hanging his head with a sigh.

"Alright, so what should we do?" Ruby asks, getting his attention as they all look at Qrow.

Qrow chuckles, "I don't really know," he says, making them all look at each other, feeling nervous, before looking back at him. "Ozpin has put a lot of trust in the headmasters. Like I said, the schools are an important part of stopping Salem. Atlas is going to be on high alert after the last attack, and Vacuo is – well, Vacuo. It'll be hard to hire thieves and scoundrels to fight against other thieves and scoundrels. Take that, add in the fact that Cinder and her crew claim to be from Haven, and I think it's likely the next target. So, we're on our way to the headmaster. Haven't heard from him in a while, even before the attack. I'm hoping he has the answers," Qrow says.

"Well, before that I think it's time I introduce you all to someone," Magilou says out of the blue.

"What? Who?" Jaune asks.

"Come on out, Bienfu," Magilou says and then a small ball of light flies out of her body and lands in front of her. A second later, a small purple figure with a big top hat that covers half his face except for his eyes appears. "Everyone, meet my lovable sidekick, Bienfu," Magilou introduces everyone.

"Hello, everyone. Nice to meet you," Bienfu waves to them.

The others stare at him for a moment until, "…What the Hell is that?!" they all yell.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Velvet and Qrow reveal their own truths to the others, and Bienfu finally joins the party. Meanwhile, Zaveid gets on Weiss' last nerve. What will happen next? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	65. Chapter 65: Training and Takedowns

**Here we are at Chapter 65. We now have over three hundred favorites! Thank you to all who have been keeping up with my story! After seeing Ruby and Velvet, let's see how some of the others are doing. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 65. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 65: Training and Takedowns**

At the Xiao Long household in Patch, Yang and Weiss are outside with Eizen, Zaveid, and Eleanor as they continue the RVWBY members training. Yang throws a right punch at Eleanor, but she spins her spear around to deflect it and then counters with a few quick thrusts of her spear. Yang bobs her head around to narrowly avoid each strike, but then Eleanor casts a wind arte that blows Yang off balance, allowing her to swing her spear upwards, knocking Yang back. Yang rolls on the ground before getting back onto her feet, only to have to duck when Eleanor casts another arte that sends some lightning bolts crashing down on her.

"You have to be quicker than that, Yang. Both in offense and in defense," Eleanor says.

Yang grits her teeth and runs back at her. Meanwhile, Weiss is off somewhere in the forest, away from the fighting, with Eizen as they focus on her summoning semblance.

"Now, to make sure I got this right, your summoning is a more advanced version of your semblance that allows you to summon enemies that you've previously defeated in battle, only this time they will fight on your side. And that you would mainly do this with Grimm, but you also have that Armas Gigas armor you told me about," Eizen clarifies.

"Yes, I was able to summon out the Armas Gigas' right arm and sword at the Fall of Beacon, but it didn't last long, and I was exhausted after that," Weiss says.

"That's natural. You've never used that power before, and you summoned it in the heat of the moment. Your body hasn't become fully accustomed to it yet. With time and training, we'll fix that. Starting now. Take out your weapon," Eizen instructs her and she does as he asks. "Now then, your summoning isn't that different from when Magilou would bring out Bienfu. They have a pact that binds them together. The same could be said about Eleanor and Laphicet or Zaveid. There has to be a mutual acknowledgement of each other's wills and minds. The Grimm may have no soul, but they are still alive in a way. Just like a demon from my world. You have to accept them as living beings and not as mindless tools. Otherwise, it'll become more difficult to summon them," he says.

"That's…a new concept for me, I guess. Seeing a Grimm as an equal being, and not as a monster," Weiss replies.

"Hey, Velvet was known as the Lord of Calamity back home, but you've gotten to know her. Do you think she's a monster?" Eizen asks.

"What?! No, of course not," Weiss retorts.

"Good. Then keep that in mind as you're doing your summoning. You can't view the beings you summoned as the enemies they used to be. You must summon them while thinking of them as allies. That'll help. Now, try our your summoning," Eizen suggests.

Weiss nods and takes a deep breath. She then twirls around a bit before she stabs her sword into the ground as her summoning glyph appears. The glyph starts to get bigger and Eizen can feel a faint breeze blow by as he watches the spectacle. Weiss continues the process as a large sword starts to rise out from the glyph. Eizen smiles…only for the glyph to suddenly break apart and the sword disintegrate.

"Argh! What just happened?! I'm sure I was doing it right," Weiss complains.

Eizen takes out his coin and flips it, "Yeah, I think that was my fault. My bad," he says as he catches it. "Think of it as another part of your training. You may have times where you have to use your summoning in the middle of a battle. Blocking out distractions like that will help you focus. Just try again," Eizen says.

Weiss deadpans at him, "So this the Reaper's Curse that Velvet mentioned," she mutters before getting back into position.

…

Meanwhile, it is late in the evening in Menagerie, and Blake, Sun, and Blake's parents are having dinner at Blake's home.

"Well, at least you're cooking is still as great as I remember, Mom," Blake notes as she eats her dinner.

"Aw, thank you dear. I try. It's always nice to cook for more than just your father and myself. Besides, there's no way I could let him in the kitchen," Kali says.

"Hey, it was one time, and it was a few years ago," Ghira says.

"You nearly gave me food poisoning," Kali deadpans, making Ghira groan in defeat while she giggles at his expense. "By the way…Where is your friend, Rokurou? I made some for him," Kali asks.

"I think he said he wanted to walk around the town. See how it is at night," Sun says.

Speaking of said samurai demon, Rokurou is currently walking through the streets of Menagerie, checking out the buildings and some of the night businesses…That, and looking for some sake as well.

"Now let's see, where to find some good sake," Rokurou mutters. However, as he's looking, he notices some rustling in the trees, and how the rustling seems to be moving in the direction towards the Belladonna household. "Well, seems like sake will have to wait," he mutters.

Rokurou begins following the trees and jumps onto one rooftop, running across the roof to jump onto another, and repeating the process as he makes his way to Blake's home. As he moves, he notices something moving between the trees, though that something seems to be shrouded in shadows. Humming to himself, Rokurou decides to move in the shadows as well in order to remain hidden. While moving in the shadows unseen and unheard is something more for ninjas rather than a samurai, Rokurou knows that sometimes, stealth is the key to victory. So, he moves below the trees, keeping his target with his sights as he closes in. Eventually, he finds them stopping at one tree near the household, appearing to be spying on the building. Getting a closer look, Rokurou sees that it's a young girl in black clothing, long hair in a ponytail, and wearing a custom White Fang mask. He then looks to see Blake Belladonna coming out on the balcony at her home outside her father's study.

 _"Oh no you're not. Not on my watch,"_ Rokurou thinks.

As the girl watches the household, she sees Blake's mother give her a tea set to bring inside her father's study while the mother walks off.

"What you looking at?" she hears behind her and looks back in surprise to see Rokurou right behind her. The girl then jumps away onto another tree top, only for Rokurou to follow right after her. "Oh no, you're not getting away," he says as he takes out his blades.

Rokurou swings his right blade at the girl, who jumps up into their air and pulls out her weapon, which seems to be a thin, silver blade with a rotating chamber and a gun handle. She swings it, and Rokurou is slightly surprised to see the blade extend into something akin to a whip. Rokurou blocks the attack with his left blade and jumps after her. The girl lands on one tree and retreats, with Rokurou hot on her tail. They jump from tree top to tree top, each time Rokurou swinging his blades at her. One time, the girl tries to block a swing from his left sword, only to get knocked back and fall to the ground. As she gets up, she looks up to see Rokurou falling towards her, with his blades aimed at her face. She rolls out of the way and jumps back.

 _"The Albains warned me about this guy, but they never said anything about him being a huntsman. What's he doing here anyway?"_ the girl thinks as she swings her whip, adding some lightning Dust to it.

Rokurou counters with an arte that releases some lightning from his blades as he swings them, cancelling out the lightning Dust in her attack. Rokurou then attacks with another arte, zig-zagging across the ground with fire trailing him, the strikes landing on the girl. The girl staggers a bit, but then her skin changes color into black to blend into the night. She tries to run, but Rokurou won't be fooled so easily. He swings his blades around, cutting a few trees down and causing them to fall around the girl. The chaos causes some dust to come up and coat the girl, allowing Rokurou to see her more clearly.

"There you are," Rokurou mutters, smirking.

He shoots over to her, both blades reeled back and swings at her, forcing the girl to block with her weapon. However, she gets sent flying into on tree and her camouflage dissipates. Just as she looks up, Rokurou kicks her in the face, knocking the mask off and showing her face to him as she falls onto the ground again.

"Come on kid. You can't beat me, and you won't be getting away," Rokurou notes, starting to sound bored.

The girl gets back up, "Who the Hell are you? Why are you here?" she asks.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Rokurou replies, as a gust of wind blows by, showing his demon eye to her.

The girl's eyes widen, "You're…You're not human, and you're not Faunus either. What the Hell are you?!" she demands.

"Oh I'm human, or at least I used to be. It's complicated. Now then…Care to tell me why you're spying on Blake and her family? I didn't think even the White Fang here in Menagerie would stoop so low as to spying on the former high leader and his family when they want to part of the White Fang right now," Rokurou asks.

"That's none of your business!" the girl yells as her skin turns red and her hair turns yellow before she swings her whip at him again.

Rokurou swings his right sword around to wrap the whip around it and stab the blade into the ground. The girl smirks and releases electricity into her whip and his blade, hoping to shock him. However…Rokurou is nowhere near the blade. The girl looks around, but then gasps when she sees Rokurou right in front of her, body low and left blade wielded in both hands. Faster than they eye can see, Rokurou swings his blade and ends up standing behind the girl. He sheathes it and a second later, the girl falls onto the ground, unconscious. Rokurou breathes a sigh of relief and retrieves his other blade before turning to the passed out girl.

"Well, this should be fun explaining to the Belladonnas," Rokurou says.

…

Back in Patch, Weiss and Eizen come back to the house for a little break, but when they arrive, they see Yang on the ground, tired, while Eleanor remains standing, though with a bit of sweat dripping down her brow.

"Yang!" Weiss yells and runs to her girlfriend's side.

Eizen walks up to Eleanor, "So, how'd she do?" he asks.

"She's certainly tenacious, I'll give her that. She's doing better with keeping her emotions in check, though that stubbornness of hers still needs a little refinement. Other than that, I believe she's made quite the progress in her training," Eleanor says.

Just then, Zaveid pops out of Eleanor, "The kid's got some skills, though her punch is still nothing compared to yours, Eizen. She's still got a ways to go there," he says.

"Well, I am a thousand years old. I've had plenty of time to work on my skills. She's just getting started," Eizen replies.

"So, how has Weiss' training come along?" Eleanor asks.

"She's getting there. Just has to push at it a little more. Switching us around like this seems to help them a bit. Different perspectives can help with getting a task done," Eizen says, taking out his coin and flipping it. "Though, she does get annoyed when my Reaper's Curse messes with her summoning. Just another part of her training, I suppose."

"They haven't been fighting as long as we have, and nowhere near as long as you or Zaveid," Eleanor notes.

Meanwhile, Weiss helps Yang sit up, "Yang, you okay?" she asks.

Yang groans, "Oh, I think I need to take a nap, a long one," she replies, holding her head. "Eizen is strong in one way, but this girl is strong in another way entirely. I wasn't able to deal any real blows to her at all," she says.

"Well, if Velvet's abilities are anything to go on, I doubt we'd be able to beat them at our level. I'm still working on my summoning, and that guy's Reaper Curse keeps getting in my way," Weiss says.

"Okay guys!" They hear and look to see Taiyang come out with a plate of sandwiches. "Let's take a little break for lunch," he says.

The group each take a sandwich and chow down, Yang and Weiss especially happy to have something to eat after another hard day's training session. Yang almost inhaled her lunch, but Weiss of course eats hers like a proper lady.

"A while after lunch, we'll finish up our training for today, and then go from there. Sound like a plan?" Eizen suggests.

"Works for me," Yang agrees, and Weiss nods.

…

Back in Menagerie, Blake is in her room with an angry look on her face. One moment, she's having a father-daughter moment with her dad and was finally able to come to terms with how she left them years ago, finding out that her parents never hated her for that and still love her dearly…Only for that moment to be ruined by Sun's untimely entrance with him falling with the door to Ghira's study, apparently eavesdropping on their conversation. After slapping him a few times, Sun said he wanted to talk to her about the White Fang, but she wanted none of that, and quickly left to get some space between them.

"He never listens," Blake mutters darkly. A minute later, she hears a knock at the door. "What is it?" she calls out.

"Blake, uh it's me," she hears Sun's voice.

"Go away Sun. I don't want to talk right now," Blake says, not bothering to move.

"Okay I'm sorry for before, but it's not me that needs to see you. It's Rokurou. He wants to talk to you," Sun replies.

"I said I don't want to talk right now. Tell him I'll see him later," Blake retorts.

"…Blake, we need to talk," she then hears her father's voice.

"Dad, what's going on?" Blake asks, surprised by her father's voice and goes to open the door to find Sun and Ghira on the other side. "What is it?" she asks.

"You need to see this," Ghira says as he nods down the hallway.

They walk through the house until they reach Ghira's study. Inside, they find Rokurou and Kali, along with a few Menagerie guards. Finally, they find the girl that Rokurou captured, with her hands tied and sitting on the couch, only now she's fully awake and stares right back at Blake. Blake's eyes widen a bit as she knows this girl all too well.

"…Ilia," Blake mutters.

"Blake…" Ilia replies.

"What's going on here?" Blake asks.

"I found this girl spying on your place, so I apprehended her. She put up a bit of a fight, but I managed to knock her out, and then I brought her here. You know this girl?" Rokurou asks.

"Her name is Ilia. We were friends in the White Fang," Blake replies.

"That was before you betrayed us and left everything we stood for!" Ilia angrily retorts.

"Betrayed? I never wanted to become a cold-blooded killer! I joined the White Fang to create peace and equality for the Faunus. That's why the White Fang was formed. Not for the mindless slaughter you people have been doing like back in Vale. I never betrayed the White Fang's ideals. Sienna Khan, Adam, people like them corrupted the White Fang into something hideous," Blake retorts.

"We fight for our kind, we don't turn our backs on them, not like you and your family," Ilia retorts.

"Okay, that's enough of that. You're making me lose my cool. Ghira, you may want to look at this," Rokurou stops them before he pulls out Ilia's scroll and hands it to him. "Technology really isn't my strong suit, but I'll bet there's some interesting things on that scroll that the White Fang doesn't want us to find out," he says.

Ghira hums, "I'll look into it," he says.

"What should we do about her?" Kali asks about Ilia.

"Keep her detained here for now. Put her in a room, but make sure he is given food and water. We may not agree with each other, but we're not savages. I won't do that to one of my people, White Fang or not," Ghira decides.

Two guards get Ilia on her feet and take her away, but she looks at Blake as she walks by, "You shouldn't have come back, Blake," Ilia says before she's taken away.

Blake only watches her leave and sighs in resignation.

…

Back in Patch, Weiss and Eizen continue Weiss' training with her summoning, this time with Yang, Eleanor, and Zaveid watching from a distance.

"Alright, let's try this again. Concentrate on the image of the being you want to summon. Picture it right in front of you and bring out its power to fight by your side," Eizen instructs Weiss.

Weiss takes a calming breath and twirls around a bit before stabbing her rapier into the ground. The summoning glyph appears and everyone can feel the wind rush around them. The glyph gets bigger and brighter, until they all have to cover their eyes from the bright light. Once the light has died down, they all turn back to Weiss and are jawstruck by what they see. They see a white Armas Gigas armor, a little taller than Eizen, standing before Weiss, with the tip of its sword on the ground. The knight moves and kneels before Weiss, and she smiles.

"I knew you could do it, Weiss!" Yang cheers as she runs to her girlfriend and picks her up in her arms, twirling her around.

"Yang, put me down!" Weiss yells.

Eizen walks up to Eleanor, "So, what do you think?" he asks.

Eleanor watches Yang and Weiss celebrate, "I think…that they're ready," she says.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Rokurou captures Ilia, and Weiss and Yang finish up their training with Eizen, Eleanor, and Zaveid. But what about Ruby, Velvet, and Magilou (and Bienfu)? Things will certainly get interesting down the road. Who knows what will happen next? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	66. Chapter 66: Past of Sorrows

**Here we are at Chapter 66. We're almost done with volume 4 in this story. Soon, the next volume will come. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 66. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 66: Past of Sorrow**

In Anima, Velvet, Ruby, and the others continue their journey to Mistral. They've faced a few Grimm along the way, but nothing they couldn't handle. There is one thing though that has been starting to annoy Velvet a bit though…

"Oh, he really is cute. Almost like Zwei," Ruby coos as she hugs Bienfu and snuggles up to him a bit.

"Come on Ruby, I want a turn!" Nora whines.

Ruby has been a little goo-goo-ga-ga on Bienfu since Magilou revealed him to the others, along with Nora since they've never seen a Normin before. Honestly, it is starting to make her a little jealous…and making her think of ways to torture the little malak in ways words haven't been invented for yet.

"Ah, this is the life," Bienfu notes as he's being held by Ruby.

"Um, Ruby, I think it's time you let him go and give him to either me or Nora," Magilou asks, a little sweat rolling down her forehead.

"Huh, why?" Ruby asks.

"Because I need him alive, and well…" Magilou trails off and points up to Velvet…who's glancing back at Bienfu with a sinister, dark look in her eye. "Any longer now, and I think Velvet will eat him," she whispers into Ruby's ear.

"Bien! I don't want to become Velvet's next meal!" Bienfu yells and flies out of Ruby's arms and retreats back into Magilou's body.

Ruby rubs her head, "Uh, right, good point," she says and walks up next to Velvet. "Don't worry Velvet. You're still number one to me," she says.

"I wasn't worried," Velvet says as she glances away. _"I was only thinking of how many ways I could rip Bienfu apart with just my demon claw's index finger before I bake him into a special dish and then fry his purple butt until it's nice and crispy…and then I'll devour him with my claw."_

Ruby leans up and kisses Velvet on the cheek, startling her a bit and making her blush, "Don't worry. At the end of the day, you're my girlfriend, and that's not gonna change. I'll still focus on you more than any little malak like Bienfu," she says to make Velvet feel better.

Velvet smiles a bit, "Thanks Ruby," she says. Suddenly, a tree branch they're walking under breaks off from the tree and falls towards them. Velvet notices and slashes it in half with her blade, spooking Ruby a bit. Velvet deactivates her blade and looks back to Qrow. "You weren't kidding when you said your semblance basically makes you a bad luck charm wherever you go," she says.

"I warned you. My semblance brings misfortune, and I can't control it. That's why I was keeping my distance from you guys. It was for your protection. Though you don't seem too bothered by that fact," Qrow notes.

"And as I told you, I had a friend back home who basically had the same ability. Eizen and his Reaper's Curse…Almost makes me wonder what would happen if the two of you ever met up. How bad would our luck be then?" Velvet wonders.

"Hey, you know what they say, times a negative by another negative and you get a positive. It could happen," Qrow says.

"I doubt it, and this isn't about math. It's about life or death," Velvet deadpans.

…

Meanwhile in Salem's domain, four arching slashes of fire are seen as Cinder Fall kills another Grimm, panting as she trains to control her Maiden powers. See is in a large empty room, with a darkened arched hallway behind her, with several candles positioned around the edges of the room. Four Beowolves slowly approach her, and she attacks by swinging her left arm, creating another arching fire slash that cuts through all four of them. Cinder pants again, but then hears heavy footsteps coming from her left. She gasps and looks up as a Beringel jumps into the air, preparing to attack her. Cinder counters by pulling back her right hand and pushing forward, sending a ball of flames at it, killing it. As its body disintegrates, Cinder falls onto her knees, breathing heavily.

"Enough," Salem says as she approaches her from behind. "I thought you were the girl who wanted power. Did you lie to me?" Salem asks harshly. Cinder winces from the question before she looks up at her and shakes her head. "Then stop holding back. If you wish to master your new powers, you must-," she begins until the sound of heavy doors opening from the hallway stop her.

They both look back as a sobbing Tyrian slowly walks into the room, falling onto his hands and knees as he bows his head.

"I'm sorry," he says softly before raising a hand to his chin. "She'll forgive me. Pleeease," he whines as he bows his head again. "Forgive me," he says.

"Tyrian!" Salem says, making him wince as she walks to stand in front of him and he looks up. "Your task – were you successful?" she asks, holding out her right arm.

"…N-no," he says as he bows his head again. Cinder's eyes widen as Salem looks surprised before narrowing her eyes and walking away, while Cinder watches her. "But, wait, you must know. I found her, the one called Velvet Crowe. And she has a piece of the Fall Maiden's power!" Tyrian yells.

This actually gets Salem's attention, as well as Cinder's, and she walks back to stand in front of Tyrian, though her expression still remains dark.

"Tell me everything, Tyrian. And I mean EVERYTHING," Salem mutters darkly.

…

Ruby and Velvet's group move through the forest, but begin to notice how the calming green scenery began to change, seeing more dead trees around and feeling more dread in the air.

"You guys feel that. I don't like it," Magilou notes as she looks around.

"Yeah, I don't like it here either. We'd better keep moving. The sooner we get to Mistral, the better," Jaune adds.

They move a little faster, only to eventually stop at a fork in the road. At the center is what appears to be a damaged sign with a couple of arrows pointing in different directions on it. On sign has the name Higanbana on it, while another has the name Kuroyuri, though it's crossed out in red. A third sign has the name Kuchinashi.

"What do you think?" Velvet asks.

"We already passed Higanbana, so that's out. The way to this Kuchinashi place takes us away from the direction to Mistral. That just seems to leave this Kuroyuri place," Jaune says.

"We can't go that way," Ren quickly interjects.

"What do you mean? It's another village we can stop and rest at along the way to Mistral," Ruby asks.

"That village was destroyed years ago. We'll just have to go another way," Ren retorts.

"Alright, what's going on with you Ren? First you're all ready to go to Mistral with Ruby and the others, and now all of a sudden, you're chickening out. What' so bad about this village, because it's not the first destroyed village you've walked through," Velvet asks, getting irritated.

"That's personal," Ren retorts, getting more defensive.

"And I really don't give a damn. Ruby has been through a lot of danger lately, and I won't allow anyone to put her in more unnecessary danger. Let's not forget, I told all of you my whole life's story. Everything about me and my past. I think it's only fair that if this is something you had to deal with when you were younger, then you'd better start talking," Velvet demands.

"Okay enough with the serious talk. It's obvious that Ren, and possibly Nora, are quite familiar with that village, aren't they?" Magilou suspects. Nora puts a supportive hand on Ren's shoulder. "Look, we need to know what we could be walking into, and we also need to get to Haven as soon as possible. We don't exactly have time for more secrets right now," she says.

Ren eventually sighs, "Before I talk, I think you should see the village first," he says and starts walking ahead of them.

The others follow him…with none of them noticing that behind a bush next to the sign post is a fallen arrow with Mistral written on it, pointing towards the mountains. A few minutes later, they enter the dead village, seeing all the destroyed buildings, the trees devoid of leaves and burnt black from possible fires, waterways lacking any water whatsoever.

"I don't like it here," Jaune notes.

"Unfortunately, you see this kind of thing more often than you'd like. Trust me, I know. Villages fall as quickly as they rise when they don't have ample protection against the Grimm," Qrow notes as he looks around from behind the group.

"It wasn't always like this…" Ren says before they come across a large dead tree in the center of the village. "Years ago, this village used to be so alive, so happy, so peaceful. And I was happy too, living with my parents…My father would go out and hunt game for food while my mother and I took care of other tasks inside the village. One day while I was out with my mother, I met Nora…who was being bullied by some of the other kids in the village," Ren begins, looking to Nora who returns a sad expression. "You know that Nora and I are orphans. Well, Nora was already an orphan when we were kids. I was lucky to still have my parents, at least for a time. My father found us and everyone ran off. Later that night, my mother came into my room while I was sleeping, frantic. Grimm were attacking the village. My father came, injured and told us we had to leave. It was then that the roof to our home collapsed…and my mother was killed. My father tried to carry me out of the city, but we couldn't get far before he sent me to run away with his knife. It was then that the one leading the Grimm attack showed up; a monstrous Grimm I had never seen before. I ran away while my father tried to fend it off, only to die by its hands as well. During the melee, I spotted Nora and it was then that my aura and my semblance activated due to the stress of the situation. My semblance masks emotions, adds a calming effect as well, and helps to basically make us invisible to Grimm. It was thanks to that that we were able to survive until the Grimm left…We were the only survivors. After that, we looked out for each other and honed our skills until we came to Beacon. And you know the rest," Ren tells his and Nora's story.

After that Velvet softens up a bit, "I'm sorry about that. Believe me, I know what it feels like to lose your home, your family, and your friends, all in one night," she says as she thinks about her old home. Ruby holds her right hand in support, making her smile a bit. "Well, it would probably be best if we keep going. No use sticking around here," she says.

"I agree. Let's get…" Jaune says until they hear a loud, monstrous roar from outside the village, and it sounded close. "…going…" Jaune says more fearfully.

…

Meanwhile, it is late at night in Menagerie. At the Belladonna household, Ilia remains a prisoner in one of the rooms of the house, though no longer in bindings. She looks out the window, only to see metal bars on the outside of the glass. She is also well aware of the guards standing outside her room.

Ilia grits her teeth, _"I need to get out of here and get back to the others. I need to try to get my scroll back as well, or else they'll know what Adam and the others are planning,"_ she thinks.

Just then she hears the lock on her door click and the door opens to reveal Blake, carrying a tray of food and water in her hands.

"I brought you some food. I'm sure you're hungry," Blake says and walks inside while the guards stand watch, placing it on a desk near Ilia's bed.

"Giving me food isn't going to change my mind, Blake. I'm still not talking," Ilia defiantly says.

"It's not meant too," Blake says before she grabs a chair and sits across from Ilia. "Ilia, I know you're angry at me for leaving," Blake begins.

"You think? You left the White Fang when we were finally starting to make progress, and then you go and fight against your own brothers and sister, your people for the humans you have tormented us for so long. So, yeah, you're damn right I'm angry," Ilia retorts.

"You call that progress? Beacon is in shambles, and innocent people are dead. And not just humans, but Faunus as well. How does killing your own kind help your cause? I told you why I left; I didn't want my skills to be used in such senseless bloodshed. I wanted to use them for good, for a just cause," Blake counters.

"We will not be walked all over anymore, and any Faunus that stands against us is an enemy to our entire race. We did what we had to do," Ilia argues.

"How? By becoming the monsters that humans make us out to be. That only proves them right. And not all humans hate the Faunus. I would know, met humans at Beacon who respect the Faunus, and even treat them as friends, including myself," Blake argues back.

"Then you are a traitor to your own kind," Ilia spitefully retorts.

"I am NO traitor to the Faunus…What happened to you Ilia? I know you, you're a good person, but you're letting your hatred control you so much now. It won't help anything. With the Fall of Beacon, more people are angry at the White Fang, and Faunus in general. This doesn't help your cause at all," Blake says.

"Well, when your family was in charge, not much progress was getting done either. It was only when people like Sienna Khan and Adam Taurus took control that we could finally get things done," Ilia says.

"…The only thing you've gotten done…is prove you're no different than the Grimm," Blake retorts and stands up. "We'll talk again tomorrow. I'll give you some time to think," she says and goes to walk away.

Ilia narrows her eyes, "No…we won't," she says.

Blake looks back, just in time to see Ilia jump at her, landing her feet on her back and sending her crashing into one of the guards standing watch. The second guard tries to sop her, but Ilia kicks him in the face and takes away his glaive. She then takes off running to find her weapon and her scroll.

Blake gets up and looks at the guards, "Alert the others. Don't let her escape!" Blake says before she takes off after Ilia.

Ilia runs through the hallways of the household, thinking that her scroll and weapon will be in Ghira's study. As she runs, two more guards stand in her way and fire off their pistols at her. Ilia jumps off the walls and uses her glaive to deflect the bullets. Once she gets close, she swings her weapon at the head of one guard, and then ducks low to swings it at the second guard's legs, making him buckle before she kick him in the face. Continuing her escape, Ilia eventually finds the doors to Ghira's study and crashes through the doors. She finds her weapon on Ghira's desk and retrieves it, but can't seem to find her scroll.

"Looking for your scroll," she hears and looks behind her to find Sun standing at the door way. "Hate to break it to you, but you won't find it here. That would be too obvious," he says, and then creates two clones with his semblance to attack her.

Ilia swings her whip around at them, taking them out with an electric shock, and making Sun duck low to avoid getting hit himself. He tries again with three more this time, but Ilia jumps across the furniture, stabbing one, and then swinging her whip to take out the second one, followed by a few kicks to the third. Ilia then swings her whip again, forcing Sun outside onto the balcony with Ilia in pursuit. Sun takes out his gun-chucks and swings them around, firing off some shots at her. Ilia swings her whip around to deflect them, but finds herself getting forced onto the defensive.

"Sun!" they hear and look to see Blake reach them from the walkway on the side of the building.

"Stay back, Blake. I got this!" Sun yells, but gets distracted.

With that distraction, Ilia swings her whip again, hitting Sun on the left side of his chest with an electric shock, making him fall to the ground against the balcony railing, barely conscious.

"SUN!" Blake yells.

Just then, Rokurou joins the fray by falling from out of nowhere and landing in front of Blake.

"Who started the party and forgot to invite me?" Rokurou asks, smirking.

Ilia growls and swings her whip at the balcony railing near Sun, causing it to break apart and Sun starting to fall backwards. Blake and Rokurou react fast and catch him before he falls over. Rokurou looks over to where Ilia was standing, only to find her long gone.

"Damn," Rokurou mutters.

However, Blake is only focused on Sun, "Sun! No, no, no, no, not again! Not again! Please!" Blake cries as she puts pressure on his wound.

"I'll go get help," Rokurou says and runs off to get aid.

Blake turns back to Sun, "Just hold on Sun. Just stay with me," she pleads into the night.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Velvet and Ruby's group are about to meet their next challenge, while Blake and Rokurou have to deal with Ilia escaping and an injured Sun. Only two chapters left until we're done with Volume 4. What will happen next for the members of Team RVWBY? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	67. Chapter 67: Ready to Move

**Here we are at Chapter 67. Only two chapters left until we reach volume 5 in the story. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 67. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 67: Ready to Move**

At the Xiao Long household, Yang is in Ruby's room, reading the letter that Ruby left behind. She has already read it several times before, but each time she reads it, all she can think about…is how she treated Ruby after the Fall of Beacon. She grits her teeth in frustration as the memory comes back as clear as yesterday, and so does the pain and the guilt. Putting the letter on the bed before she rips it, Yang turns to the picture of a younger version of her and Ruby on the bedroom table, back when things were much brighter in their lives.

"Yang…" she hears and looks up to see Weiss standing at the doorway. "Everything alright?" she asks, a little concerned.

"Hey Weiss…I would say I'm fine…But that would be a big, fat lie," Yang replies as she looks at the picture again, holding it in her hands this time.

Weiss sits next to her on the bed and rubs her back a bit, "Thinking about Ruby?" she asks.

"Yeah. I told you before that she was going to Haven to find those responsible for the attack on Beacon," Yang notes.

"Yes, and you told me that Jaune, Ren, and Nora were going with her. Believe me, I miss that cookie loving dolt too, but she's our leader. I'm sure she's fine," Weiss tries to comfort her.

"That's not the problem!" Yang states, stunning Weiss a bit. Yang takes a breath and calms down. "It's just…after the Fall of Beacon, I wasn't in the best of shape, in more words than one. Ruby was trying to help, and I didn't want to listen. I was in a bad place, after everything that happened. She was just trying to help me, and I pushed her away. I hurt her, and told her to leave me alone. I didn't care about anything at that point. I didn't even tell her that I love her after she said those same words to me. Looking back now, I hate myself for how I treated her, my own sister. I just…I have to make it right. I owe her an answer, an answer that she's been waiting on for over half a year. I wasn't there for her before, but I will be there for her now. I HAVE to be there for her. I turned my back on her, just like my mom turned her back on me and Dad. That is the one thing I never wanted to do in my life, but I did it anyway. I made a huge mistake, but I refuse to let that mistake define the rest of my life," Yang decides.

Weiss smiles a little bit and kiss Yang on the cheek, making her eyes widen a bit before she looks at her.

"That's the Yang I know and love. And don't even think about going out there on your own. I'm coming with you. She may be your sister, but she's my BFF, although I'll never say that to her face. We'll find her and watch out for her, together," Weiss says.

Yang eventually smiles back, "Thanks Weiss. For being there for me," she says.

"Hey, what are girlfriends for," Weiss replies before giving Yang a chaste kiss on the lips.

…

Meanwhile, in Menagerie, Blake sits in her father's study, watching over an injured Sun as he sleeps on the couch, his wound all bandaged up, while Rokurou stands off to the side, watching the two of them with his arms crossed.

"He shouldn't have been here. If he had just left me alone, this wouldn't have happened…again. I didn't want this to happen again," Blake laments.

"It's not your fault that he got hurt," Rokurou says.

"Yes it was! This is what I was trying to tell you before. I'm bad luck. People that I care about have been hurt because of me, because they tried to help me. I can't be helped. First it was Yang at Beacon, and now it's Sun. This is why I left them behind; it was to protect them. As long as I'm near them, they're never safe. You saw how Ilia was, and she's not even the worst of them in the White Fang. You have no idea what it's like. Ruby, Weiss…Yang. I loved them. I loved them like I never thought I could love anyone else. Do you think I like being alone? Being away from them? I don't, but it's better for them if I am. No, no more. They're better off without me. I'll do what I have to do because those choices belong to me. And I hope they hate me for it," Blake says, a few tears falling from her eyes.

Rokurou just stands there, staring at her as she lets all her feelings out. After giving Blake a moment to calm down, Rokurou slowly walks over to Blake…and slaps her across the face. A shocked expression coats Blake's face as she slowly raises a hand to where he slapped her, and then turns to face him.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you? Let me ask you this: why do you think Sun followed you here and wanted to help you?" Rokurou asks her.

"What? What does that have to-," Blake begins.

"He came here to help you…because you're his friend. He never needed a reason to help you. He helped you…because he wanted to. And the same can be said for Yang. She risked her life to help you because she cares about you. Because you're her friend. And I'll bet that she'd be willing to do the same thing all over again. Look, when I was first travelling with Velvet back in my world, I was helping her because I had a debt to repay to her. But as time moved on, and we got closer to our goals, I started helping her, not because of a debt, but because she was my friend, and still is. I helped her achieve her goals simply because I wanted to help her do it. I wanted to see where her will would take her, and what would happen after we defeated Artorius," Rokurou says.

"…He's right, Blake," they hear and look to see Sun waking up, having listened in on some of their conversation. "He's right. If I had to do it all over again the same way, knowing where I'd end up, I'd do it in a heartbeat if it meant protecting you. And Yang would say the same," he says as he sits up. "Yeah, you can make your own choices, sure. But you don't get to make ours. When your friends fight for you…it's because we want to. So STOP pushing us out! That hurts more than anything the bad guys could ever do to us," Sun says.

After having listened to both of them give their big speeches, Blake thinks long and hard about her past actions, and comes to believe that they're right. How does running away help protect her friends? After Ruby and Yang got hurt, and Velvet went missing, and Weiss was taken back to Atlas, how could running away do any good? The truth is…it doesn't. It has NEVER done any good, and Blake finally realizes that.

"Now do you see Blake? You don't have to solve your problems on your own, and you don't have to be alone your whole life. You have friends who are willing to do whatever it takes to help you…And I think it's about time you start doing the same for them," Rokurou says.

Blake thinks more on his words until Sun puts a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"But if it makes you feel any better, the next time I go up against Lizard Girl, it won't be for you – it'll be to get even," Sun says.

Sun goes to give him a thumbs up with his left hand, but then winces as the motion aggravates his injury, making Blake laugh a little.

"My hero," she mutters at Sun.

Just then, the door behind Blake that Sun crashed through the other night, crashes down again. Only this time, the culprit is Kali, who had been eavesdropping before she embarrassed herself, while Ghira stands behind her, looking down at her with a hand on his hip.

Kali pops back up, "Oh! Oh dear, would you look at that, he's awake. Thank goodness," she says, trying to play it off.

Ghira covers his face with his hand, "Kali, please," he says.

"Mom!" Blake yells.

Sun waves to them, "Hey, Mrs. B," he greets her, while Rokurou just shakes his head.

Blake walks over to Kali, "What are you doing?!" she asks, flabbergasted.

"Well, sweetheart, your father needed to speak with the three of you," she says.

"Huh?" Blake asks, confused.

Ghira places Ilia's scroll on the coffee table, showing several folder icons on the screen.

"I'm afraid you were right to be suspicious," he says as he stands behind the coffee table while Blake and Sun sat on it, with Rokurou standing behind to them.

"What do you mean?" Blake asks.

"Adam Taurus is planning to overthrow the leader of the White Fang, and stage a full-scale attack on Haven Academy. It would be the Fall of Beacon all over again," he says.

Blake and Sun look down, "Not if we destroy the White Fang once and for all," Sun says.

"…No," Blake says, looking up. She stands up, full of decision. "We're not going to destroy the White Fang. We're going to take it back," she declares.

Rokurou chuckles, "Well, this sounds like it could be fun. Hope you don't mind if I join in on this little party," he says.

"Okay, but how do you propose we do that?" Sun asks.

"We'll start here in Menagerie. If Haven is the White Fang's next target, then we need to be ready to help them. We should first get someone to send out a message to Haven Academy, warning them about the upcoming assault. Meanwhile, we need to gather the Faunus here in Menagerie to help us. The school is not in the middle of classes right now, so it'll be less defended than when the students and the teachers are all there together," Blake comes up with a plan.

"I'll send a messenger to Mistral at once. At least then the school can be ready should an attack happen," Ghira adds.

Rokurou nods, "We'll also need to deal with the White Fang here in Menagerie. I don't have to be a genius to know that those Albain brothers might be in league with Adam Taurus. I say we pay them a visit and have a talk about them and Ilia. See if we can get some answers, or at least ruffle their fur a bit," he says.

"This sounds like this is going to be one heck of a party. Count me in!" Sun cheers.

Blake smiles at him, "Thanks. We're going to need all the help we can get," she says. _"It's time…that I stop running from my past, and start facing it."_

…

Outside her home, Yang Xiao Long spray paints her prosthetic arm and half of her Ember Celica bright yellow, with some black. A moment later, with her arm back on, she goes into the tool shed behind the house and pulls off a tarp covering her motorcycle, Bumblebee.

"I don't remember saying you were ready," she hears her father say behind her, leaning against the open door frame, arms crossed.

Yang doesn't look back at him, "Oh yeah? You're gonna try and stop me?" she asks, smiling.

Taiyang chuckles, "No. I think I'm still too sore after our last fight," he says, holding his left shoulder. "I just want a better goodbye than a letter. And I also have a question for you," he says, and Yang turns around. "Where are you going?" he asks.

"What do you mean?" she asks.

Taiyang moves into the shed, "Well, despite asking him numerous time not to, I know that Qrow told you where your mother's been at these days. I know how much you wanna see her. I've stopped you in the past, but I won't anymore…And we've both read the note. We know your sister's headed to Mistral. So, WHERE are you going?" he asks, as Yang looks slightly to the side, glancing at Bumblebee.

"Wherever we're going, it'll be together," they hear and look to see Weiss walk into the shed, carrying her suitcase with her. "I'm going with her," she says as she stands with Yang.

"Don't forget us," they hear again and look back to see Eizen, Eleanor, and Zaveid standing behind Taiyang.

"Yes, we're coming with you," Eleanor says.

"Listen guys, we appreciate your help, but this is our mission. Our fight. You don't have to drag yourselves into this," Yang says.

"You forget; we do what we want to do. We go where the wind takes us. And besides, you're friends with Velvet, remember? That makes you our friends as well. So we're helping you out, whether you like it or not," Zaveid adds.

"Um, okay if that's what you want. I doubt we could stop you anyway, but…Yang's bike can only fit two people," Weiss notes.

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's all taken care of," Eizen states, pointing a thumb behind him.

The trio take a look outside the shed and see a real beauty. They find a black and silver chrome Triumph Rocket III motorcycle behind Eizen, though slightly modified to with a larger body and seat for two people. Weiss raises and eyebrow, but Yang starts to drool a little bit.

"Where in the world did you get that?!" Yang yells.

Eizen shrugs, "I have my ways," he says.

"You didn't steal it, did you?" Eleanor asks accusingly.

"I didn't steal it, I did business for it. Would you rather we walk the whole way to Anima. We don't have the Van Eltia here with us, nor do we have that spirit board that we used to get around more quickly from before. You have to adapt, and that's what I did," Eizen argues, though Eleanor just stares at him for a moment before sighing.

"Well, at least this saves us some time from having to find transportation for ourselves later. Might as well run with it," Eleanor states.

"Wait, what about him?" Taiyang asks, pointing to Zaveid. "Your bikes are only good for two people each, and there's five of you. What's he going to do?" he asks.

Zaveid waves it off, "Don't worry about me. The wind will be my guide and transportation," he says.

"Huh?" Taiyang asks, raising a confused eyebrow.

"Eh, never mind," Zaveid says.

…

Meanwhile, back at Salem's domain, Tyrian and Cinder, with help from Emerald, finish explaining the situation with Velvet and the power of the Fall Maiden.

Salem raises a hand to her chin, "I see…So this Velvet Crowe used her semblance, a demon claw of sorts, and was somehow able to absorb the power of the Fall Maiden from Cinder, similar to the method I gave you to extract the power from the previous Fall Maiden. Before this time, there has never been a case of a Maiden's powers being stolen or sucked out from their host, until I created a method that would do exactly that. But this girl acquired a power to do so all on her own. Cinder for now, continue your treatment and your training. If this girl was able to steal a piece of your power with just her semblance, then we cannot allow her to take the rest. And, should the time come for you to face her, you must take back what is ours. Is that UNDERSTOOD?" Salem demands, her eyes glowing for a second.

Fearfully, Cinder nods her head, and then Salem leaves, allowing both Tyrian and Cinder to breathe a sigh of relief.

…

Back in Anima, Ruby and Velvet's group feel the energy in the air get suddenly darker, and they hear several footsteps coming towards them in the village.

"Guys…" Ruby mutters.

"Oh great, if Eizen was here right now, This would have Reaper's Curse written all over it," Velvet notes as she activates her arm blade.

This convinces everyone else to ready their weapons. Soon enough, they see a pair of Beringels walking around the corner of one building along with a few Beowolves, eyeing the group with malice. However, they start to get really worried when they see one more Grimm join the party. A Grimm with a horse and a humanoid boy fused together, long spines on the back and a pair of curved horns on the head of the human half. Arrows and swords litter the back of the monster, signs of past battles, and past deaths of innocent people. The Nuckelavee Grimm raises its head, staring at them, before it and the rest of the Grimm roar in unison.

"Oh, this is gonna suck," Velvet mutters.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Sorry it took so long, had work and a little bit of writer's block. A little short, but what can you do. Anyway, the rest of Team RVWBY are ready to move forward, but Ruby and Velvet have one more obstacle to get through before making it to Haven. Will they survive this next challenge? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	68. Chapter 68: Another Test

**Here we are at Chapter 68. Time for one more battle before this volume ends. I watched this past episode of RWBY, and that was messed up (I won't say much to spoil anyone). I just think they walked right into some kind of trap. Anyway, I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 68. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 68: Another Test**

Ruby and her friends prepare their weapons as the Nuckelavee Grimm twitches its body around before roaring into the air, commanding the other Grimm to attack.

"We'll handle the Beowolves!" Jaune says, motioning to his teammates.

"I'll take the Beringel. Magilou, back me up!" Ruby adds.

"That leaves the other Beringel and the Nuckelavee for us. Ready claw girl?" Qrow asks as he readies his sword.

"Don't call me claw girl," Velvet says before they run at their opponents.

The first attack comes from one of the Beringels which jumps into the air to smash its fists down on Ruby. Ruby uses her semblance to evade it, followed up by Magilou extending one of her cards to smack the Grimm in the face. This distracts it long enough for Ruby to come around and slash at its side with her scythe before jumping away. Meanwhile, Jaune uses his shield to block a strike from a Beowolf. Nora come in and jumps over him, swinging her hammer into its skull, sending it flying back. A second Beowolf attacks from the left flank, but Ren joins in by firing his pistols to stop its advance. He then switches places with Jaune, who thrusts his sword through its skull, taking one Grimm down before they regroup to take on the rest. Off to the side, Qrow is firing off a few shots from his weapon at a charging Beringel, who blocks the shots with its left arm. When it gets close, the Beringel swings its arm around to smack him away, only for Qrow to duck under the strike, and then backflip away when the Grimm tries to grab him with his right arm. Qrow then goes on the attack, spinning in the air with his blade out to make a few strikes. The Beringel shrugs them off mostly and attacks again, only for Qrow to jump onto its left arm and stab its shoulder with his sword, followed by firing off a shot to propel him to safety. He then glances around to see how Velvet's holding up.

With the main attraction, Velvet is running around the Nuckelavee as it thrusts its arms at her from a distance, using the buildings to help her avoid them by jumping up the damaged rooftops. She fires off a few shots from her gauntlet, but the Grimm blocks them with its right arm, getting agitated. It then swings its arms out wide, forcing Velvet to jump back down to ground level as the Grimm charges at her. Activating her Maiden power, Velvet coast her arm blade in fire and runs at it as well. She then slides across the ground as it tries to hit her, making a quick swing at two of its legs. She then jumps onto its back, only for the human half to spin around, throwing her off its body. It then thrusts its right arm at her, but she evades it and engages her foot blades. Jumping along its side, she swings all her blades around, dealing several strikes that cause it roar in pain. Velvet jumps back to prepare for its next move.

"This thing is tougher than it looks," Velvet mutters.

Back with the others, Ren takes a quick look at Velvet's battle, focusing more on her opponent, the Nuckelavee. Just looking at that monster brings back so many painful memories, and the rage that comes with them. However, he has to keep his focus on the few remaining Beowolves still standing, including the one swinging its claws at him. Ren weaves around each strike before making a counterattack by thrusting his pistols into its open mouth and pulls the triggers, shredding through the Grimm's skull and killing it. He then sees Nora smash her hammer down on another Beowolf, crushing it. The two go to help Jaune, who pushes back the last Beowolf with his shield.

"Nora, now!" Ren yells.

"You got it!" Nora replies.

The two come at the Grimm's flanks, with Ren slashing at its left arm, followed by Nora smashing her hammer on its back. With the Grimm disoriented, Jaune takes this chance to swing his sword at its neck, beheading the beast.

"Thanks guys, now let's-Ren! Where are you going?!" Jaune yells as he sees Ren rush off towards Velvet's battle. "Argh, Nora, we have to help the others, then we help Ren!" Jaune says.

"Right!" Nora says before they run off.

Back with Ruby and Magilou, the witch conjures up an arte to create a surge of electricity, shocking the Beringel. Ruby then comes in low, swinging her scythe at its legs, tripping it up.

"Oh yeah, let the magic show continue!" Magilou cheers as she conjures up another arte.

This time, she sends out several of her cards to fly and surround the Beringel as it rises back onto its feet. The cards then spin around the Grimm, moving faster with each second. However, they eventually stop as plumes of fire erupt from beneath them, consuming the Grimm in flames. After the flames die down, the Grimm is weakened and severely burned. This allows Ruby the chance to attack from up high, swinging her scythe down to slice off its head.

"Another one down!" Ruby notes.

With the other Beringel, Qrow dodges a few attacks from the Grimm's fists as it tries to crush him like a bug. However, Qrow smirks and waits for the next attack. The Beringel roars and tries to crush him one more time, only for Qrow to narrowly evade the attack, and counters by swinging his sword to slice off the Grimm's left arm at its elbow. The Grimm roars in pain, but Qrow changes his sword into its scythe form, and jumps up. He then impales his scythe blade into the Grimm's skull, flips over it, and then pulls out the blade, cutting the head in half as the body falls to the ground and disintegrates.

Qrow smirks, "Too easy," he notes.

"Ren!" he hears and looks to see Ren run past Velvet in a blind rage at the Nuckelavee.

Ren fires off his pistols at the Grimm, only for his opponent to start spinning around, swinging its arms around and knocking him up against a large dead tree.

"That idiot," Velvet mutters before she activates her demon claw.

Tossing up and absorbing a fire Dust crystal, Velvet launches an attack by first swinging her arm blade, sending out a wave of fire, followed by a fireball from her claw. The two attacks damage the Nuckelavee and get it to focus on her again. Velvet gets ready to move, only to see a few shots fly over her and nail the Grimm. Velvet look back to see Ruby and Nora with their weapons aimed at the Grimm.

"We got your back, Velvet!" Ruby yells.

Velvet nods and turns back to the Grimm. She runs at it, followed by Qrow and Jaune. The Nuckelavee thrusts its arms at them, making them scatter to evade the attack. Qrow comes around and swings his scythe back, with Velvet landing on the blade. He swings hard, sending her flying at the Grimm. Velvet swings her claw at its face, knocking it back. Next, Jaune adds to her assault with a swing at one of the horse half's legs. The horse screams a bit before it kicks Jaune away. Luckily, Jaune blocks the attack with his shield, but still gets sent flying from the force of the kick. Ruby and Nora join the brawl, with Nora changing her weapon into its hammer form. She swings it around, with Ruby landing on the hammer, and swings it high. Ruby flies into the air and then fires off her scythe behind her, attacking from above while Nora attacks from below. The two come close to attacking the Grimm, but the Nuckelavee thrusts its arms at both of them, catching the two and swinging them around and smashing them onto the ground. Getting back on his feet, Ren growls as he eyes the Grimm. Screaming like a mad man, Ren charges at the Grimm once more. He fires off his pistols at its face, making the Grimm pull back its arms to protect itself. The Grimm thrusts its arms at Ren, who manages to evade the first strike, but can't evade the second as he gets caught in their clutches. The Grimm throws Ren into the side of a building, his aura dropping low. The Nuckelavee Grimm then curls its body inward, its spines growing longer, and its mouth opening even wider than before as it roars in rage.

Ren staggers back to his feet, seeing his friends getting hurt. He gets ready to attack again, only for Velvet to get in his way and slap him across the face.

"What are you doing?! We have to help the-," Ren begins, only for Velvet to punch him in the face this time.

"The only way you're gonna help them is if you cool it," Velvet stops him and then looks back to see Jaune, Ruby, and Qrow keeping the Grimm busy. Velvet turns back to Ren, "You want revenge because that thing killed your parents, right? Are you willing to put your friends' lives in jeopardy just to get your revenge?" she asks, stopping Ren in his tracks. "Look, I have no right to tell you to stop. I know exactly what it's like to lose the people you love and want revenge. After I lost my little brother, all I could think about was getting revenge against Artorius for what he did. The first time I met him on that quest, he defeated me and everyone else with ease. We almost died because he was too strong, but more importantly because I was being too stupid and too selfish at the time. Now look at them," Velvet says, pointing to the others. Ren watches as Ruby and Qrow fire off their weapons, shooting them at the Nuckelavee from opposite directions, slicing at its arms, followed up by Jaune, who fuses his sword and shield into a two-handed sword and goes for the horse's legs. Lastly, he sees Magilou fly over the Grimm on one of her cards, sending out a few others that collide with the Grimm and explode. "You want revenge, then I won't stop you, but don't put your friends' lives in danger because of it. Trust me, I know that better than anyone," Velvet says.

Ren then feels a hand on his shoulder and looks to see Nora standing next to him, "We can do this, Ren. Together, just as we've always done," she says.

Ren takes a breath to calm down, realizing they're right. He kneels down and pulls out a curved dagger from his right leg, an old memento from his late father.

"We'll take care of the Grimm and bring him down. When that happens, you'll be the one to finish the rest. Good for you?" Velvet asks.

Ren nods, "That's fine with me. Let's go," he says.

Velvet and Nora nod before they go to rejoin the battle. In the fight, The Nuckelavee swings its arms around in a frenzy aimed at everyone around it. The group jump back to evade the attack and regroup. When Velvet and Nora rejoin them, the former and Qrow are the first to attack. The Nuckelavee thrusts its arms at them. Qrow slides under the right arm, while Velvet activates her demon claw and grabs the left arm, holding it down.

"Now!" Velvet yells.

Qrow comes in, with his sword in its scythe mode, and slices the left arm off. The Nuckelavee roars in pain and thrusts its right arm out in rage. This time, Jaune comes in and swings his sword to deflect the strike. This gives Ruby the chance to shoot high into the air, and then fire off in the sky to propel her back to the ground. She impales her scythe into the arm and clamps it down on the ground. This gives Velvet the chance to charge in and slice off the right arm with her arm blade. With the Grimm disarmed (damn it Yang), the horse half roars before charges at them, attempting to run them over. However, during the whole action, Magilou has been conjuring up an arte. She then activates it and sends out a ball of electricity at the Grimm, shocking it into submission. Nora comes in, using the arte to power herself up and jumps into the air to smash her hammer down on the horse's head. The Nuckelavee falls onto the ground, and the group move in and use their weapons to pin it down, with Velvet using her demon claw to hold the Nuckelavee's human head up so it can see Ren walking towards it. The Nuckelavee roars, only for Velvet to punch it in the jaw.

"Oh shut up," Velvet says.

Ren stands in front of the Grimm, "Remember me? Well, I remember you. I remember you leading the Grimm that destroyed this village, my home. I remember you killing my parents. I remember you taking so many lives and causing so much suffering. I remember your face, and the darkness you bring. Well…that ends now," Ren says as he slowly raises his knife. The Nuckelavee roars again, but Ren remains unfazed. "For my mother, my father, for all the innocents that you've harmed…and for myself. You're history," Ren says and swings his dagger, taking the Grimm's head off its body as Velvet lets go.

With that, the others step back as the dead Grimm's body disintegrates into thin air. Ren takes a calming breath and sheathes his dagger. Velvet deactivates her demon claw and walks up to him.

"Feel better now?" she asks.

"Yeah, but not in the way you think. I'm just glad that nightmare is over, and that my parents and everyone else can finally rest in peace," Ren says.

Nora suddenly jumps on Ren, giving him a big hug that he happily returns while the rest of the group watch on and let them have their moment. Ruby wraps her arms around Velvet's right arm, the pair having their own smiles.

"Nice job, kiddo," Qrow notes as he walks past them.

"Now that was a good show. So when's the encore?" Magilou asks.

"I think it would be better if we didn't have anymore 'good shows' for a while. It's still going to be a while before we finally reach Mistral. We have a long walk ahead of us," Jaune says.

The group then start to hear some faint beeping, only to notice it getting louder and closer.

Qrow looks up into the sky and smirks, "Well, who said anything about walking the rest of the way?" he notes.

They look up to see a pair of Mistral airships approaching the old village. They circle around the village once before landing in the center of town. A second later, one of the pilots exits the airship and approaches the group.

"Is everyone alright? We were patrolling the area and saw some smoke coming from here. No one's been out here for ages," the pilot asks.

"We were heading to Mistral, but got sidetracked. Listen, I think it would be better to have this conversation on our way back to the kingdom if you don't mind," Qrow replies.

"Understood. Well, climb aboard," the pilot waves them to the airship.

The group board the airships and then take off into the sky. On one ship, Ren and Nora hold hands and snuggle closer to one another, both happy to have settled a ghost from their past. Jaune and Magilou stand by, watching the scenery fly by as they get closer to the kingdom. Meanwhile, on the other airship, Qrow has a quick swig, while Ruby and Velvet sit on the edge of the airship like Ren and Nora, finally getting a chance to catch their breaths.

"For a while, I was worried there. We had been through so much. I didn't know how much longer it was going to take us to reach Mistral, or if we would all get there together," Ruby notes.

Velvet pulls her closer so Ruby can lean her head on her shoulder, "We all made it out of there safe and sound, and that's all that matters…And I got to see you again after so long. I'd call that a success," she says.

Ruby smiles and kisses Velvet on the cheek, "I miss you too Velvet. I'm glad we're back together and that you're safe," she says.

Velvet is about to reply until something catches her eye, "Ruby, look," she points ahead of them. They, and the others, look to see a large mountain with buildings built all around it. They have finally reached the kingdom of Mistral. "We made it," she says.

Ruby tears up a bit but quickly wipes them away, "Yeah, we did. Now we just have to go see the headmaster of Haven Academy. I think things are finally looking up now," she adds.

Velvet leans her head on top of Ruby's, "I couldn't agree more," she mutters.

…

On a ship heading for Anima, Yang leans against the railing, wearing a new combat outfit, looking at a picture of Team STRQ, with her motorcycle sitting behind her. A moment later, Weiss walks up to her and places her hand on Yang's right hand, the two smiling at each other as they look out into the sea.

"So, you think your mother will really help us?" Weiss asks.

"Probably not, but it's worth a shot. If it gets us closer to Ruby, then I'll do what I have to," Yang says.

Weiss wraps her arms around Yang's arm, "Well, just remember that you won't have to do it alone," she says.

"Exactly," they look to Weiss' right to see Eizen and Eleanor, with Eizen's motorcycle sitting behind them. "Don't forget about us now. We want a piece of the action too," Eizen says, taking his coin out and flipping it, while Eleanor nods.

Wind blows by and Zaveid appears, "Yeah, I've been itching for a brawl around here," he notes.

Weiss looks back to Yang, "Maybe we'll even find some clues about Velvet," she states.

Yang just looks out into the ocean, "Yeah, I hope so too. For Ruby's sake," she mutters.

…

Meanwhile, in Menagerie, Blake is sitting in her father's study, looking at two different flags of the White Fang. One is the more recent red one, when they became violent, the other is the white one from when they were more peaceful.

"You ready for this?" she hears and looks up to see Rokurou and Sun walk up to stand behind her on the couch.

Blake takes a breath and nods, "I'm done running from my past. I need to face it, hear and now, or else things will get worse. I realize that now, thanks to you two," she says.

Rokurou crosses his arms, "Took you long enough. But enough about that; it's time to go to work," he says.

"Yeah, we got your back Blake," Sun adds.

Blake smiles, "Thanks you guys," she replies.

…

In Mistral, Ruby enters a room in one house that she and her friends are staying at for the time being. She puts her scythe away in one corner and goes to rest on the bed closest to the window. They have finally made it to Mistral, and can now rest easy knowing that they are one step closer to fixing the mess they find themselves in after the Fall of Beacon. Soon enough, Velvet enters the room and joins Ruby on the bed, holding her hand. The two stare at each other for a moment before they stare a loving kiss. After a few more seconds of kissing, the two separate and look out the window one more time.

 _"Alright, next stop: Haven Academy,"_ Velvet thinks.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter, and the end of volume 4. Next chapter we'll be getting into Volume 5. Ruby, Velvet, and their group have made it to Mistral, while the others are on their way to the same place. More surprises and challenges await Team RVWBY in the future, but will they be ready for them? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	69. Chapter 69: Mistral

Here we are at Chapter 69 and the start of Volume 5 for the story. Time to see how Velvet and Ruby handle their first visit to Mistral and Haven Academy. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 69. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 69: Mistral

It is morning in the kingdom of Mistral, and everyone is slowly getting out into the streets, going about their business (both legal and otherwise) like every other normal day of their lives. In one house, two individuals are asleep in a single bed, arms wrapped around each other. Ruby snuggles closer to Velvet, happy to enjoy a warm bed after so many months of sleeping outside, but even happier to share it with her girlfriend. However, as much as the two of them would want to keep this moment going a while longer, the sunlight sneaking its way through the curtains in their room land on their faces. Slowly, they open their eyes, happy that the faces of one another are the first things they see.

"Good morning, Velvet," Ruby says.

Velvet smiles, "Good morning, Ruby," she replies.

Ruby leans forward to give Velvet a good morning kiss, "I've missed this...for so long. Even as I was making my way to Haven with Jaune, Ren, and Nora, I always wondered what happened to you, or if I would ever see you again. I missed you so much, Velvet," she says.

Velvet reaches up and strokes a few hairs on Ruby's head, "I know, and again, I'm sorry about being away for so long. When I used my power to absorb the power of the Fall Maiden from Cinder, I had never absorbed a power like that before, and then you activated yours at the same time. It was all too much, I guess. I still don't understand how it happened, but eventually I was able to come back, and then I found you, again," she says, her hand falling to softly hold Ruby's right cheek.

"I'm just glad your back. I wish we could stay like this forever," Ruby says.

The two go to sit up, and Velvet pulls Ruby back into her arms, stroking her ahead again.

"I do too. But once we take down Salem, once we fix everything, then we can just be like this. Finish up our training at Beacon, and then just sleep like this every day when we're not fighting monsters," Velvet soothes her.

"Well, speaking of which, I think it's time we should get going. We still have to go to Haven and speak with Professor Lionheart. Hopefully, he'll be able to help us," Ruby says.

"Yeah, in my experience, those in positions of power rarely use it for the greater good. Either that, or they have no true power to use in the first place...But if you think it's a good idea, then I'm all for it," Velvet says.

"Then let's get going," Ruby replies.

…

After getting everyone else up and getting some breakfast, the group make their way into the streets of Mistral, checking out the sights while on their way to Haven Academy.

"Wow, this place is awesome!" Ruby cheers as she spins all around to see everything around her.

"While it's not much like some of the places we got back home, this place certainly has its own charms. I could get used to living in a place like this," Magilou adds.

"Mistral is known for having a more cultural appeal to its infrastructure," Ren notes.

It is then that Ruby sees one stand that is just for her, "Oh, look at all the weapons!" she cheers and races to the stand with all the different weapons up for sale.

Velvet then picks Ruby up by her hood and pulls her away, "Ruby, remember why we are here," she says.

"Oh, uh, right, sorry," Ruby replies, a little embarrassed.

Qrow then steps up as Velvet puts Ruby down, "Yeah, you can find just about anything up for grabs here in Mistral...whether people are supposed to sell them or not. Just be careful, there are always a few unsavory types," he says, noticing one guy in a black cloak give something to someone before running back down an alley. "I just thought that since this is the first time that some of you have been to Mistral, that I would take you down a more scenic route. Just remember to stay away from the lower levels. However, the higher you get up, the nicer it gets," he explains.

"And speaking of up, our next stop is Haven Academy," Jaune says, pointing up.

…

Meanwhile, Yang and Weiss' group is currently in Anima, riding through the forests of the continent as they continue their search for Yang's mother, Raven, and ultimately Ruby.

"See anything?" Yang calls out to Weiss sitting behind her.

"Just more and more trees and forests. Nothing new here," Weiss replies, holding herself close to Yang.

"Yeah, pretty much been like that since we showed up here. From what I gather, Anima is the largest continent on Remnant, so of course we wouldn't see too many signs of civilization. At least, signs of living civilization," Eizen replies from his ride.

"Agreed. In wide areas such as this, it makes it that much harder to protect people living outside the kingdom, and it also makes them easier targets for bandits or worse. It's not a pleasant thought at all for me," Eleanor adds.

"Come on, the next living piece of civilization we see, we'll stop there for a drink, get some info, and then keep going," Yang says, making her motorcycle go faster while Eizen follows close behind her. Eventually, they come across a gas station and decide to stop there. Once there, everyone gets off the bikes. "Why don't you guys get us some water inside. We'll fuel up the bikes out here and be in in a minute," Yang says, gesturing to herself and Eizen.

"Okay, we won't be long," Weiss says as she and Eleanor walk inside.

As they walk inside, they notice one guy, slumped on the bar top, obviously having had a little too much to drink, and then notice a middle-aged male with glasses standing behind the bar, cleaning a few glasses.

"Good afternoon, what can I do for ya, young ladies?" he politely asks.

"We'd like a few drinks to go, please," Weiss asks.

The man raises an eyebrow, "Um, aren't you a little young to be drinking?" he asks.

"Oh no, we'd like five waters, please. We have a few more friends outside...and it's a little hot out. Not too used to it, unfortunately," Weiss says.

"Oh...sure. No problem, just give me a minute," the man says before disappearing behind the bar top.

It is then that the two young women hear some laughter to the side and glance to see the drunk man waking up and staring at them.

"You two, too young to drink? You girls look like a couple of bonafide huntresses, and some real beauties also," he says, standing up from his seat.

Weiss gags a bit, "Sorry, but we're not interested. We're here on business, not you," she retorts.

"Yes, you would be wise to leave us alone, especially when you've obviously had a few too many alcoholic beverages to think straight," Eleanor adds, standing defensively next to Weiss.

"Oh, come on now. I was giving you two a compliment. You're not too bulky, not too lean, have beautiful hair," the shady man begins as he steps closer. "And not to mention, snow white, you have some fine-looking legs there..." the man says as he reaches low towards Weiss.

Weiss about to try something, but suddenly, they all feel a quick gust of wind, only for a gloved hand to appear and grab the shady man's arm. He looks over to see Zaveid, glaring right back at him.

"I may be a bit of a ladiesman, but even I know when to back off, and how to hit on a woman, unlike you. Now scram," Zaveid says before he uses his winds to send the man flying through the front door.

Outside, Yang and Eizen notice the man flying out the front door towards them, and Eizen reacts quickly enough to throw a hard left punch that nails the man in the stomach and sends him crashing into a wall.

"Let me guess: Zaveid?" Yang deadpans.

"Most likely," Eizen replies, wiping his hands a bit.

Back inside, the bar owner comes back up from behind the bar with a tray of glass water bottles in his hands.

"These are on the house. He's been driving me crazy," the bar owner says.

"Thank you," Weiss replies, taking one bottle and having a sip along with Eleanor, while Zaveid just guzzles his down.

"So, what brings you people around these parts? No offense, but you all don't look like you're from around here," the bar owner asks.

"Guess it's a little obvious. Well, we're actually looking for someone...Raven Branwen," Eleanor states.

At hearing that name, the man quickly gets worried, "H-hold on, you ladies don't want to go messing with bandits. They're a world of trouble, and Raven Branwen is the worst of them!" the man warns them.

"I'm sure she is. Doesn't make much of a difference," Zaveid replies.

"Thanks again for the drinks," Weiss thanks him, grabbing the remaining bottles and heading outside to Yang and Eizen. "Your water. Apparently, Raven Branwen is quite infamous around here," she notes as she hands Yang her water bottle.

Yang guzzles hers down, along with Eizen, before replying, "Yeah, I figured as much. Well, come on. The bikes' are all fueled up and we have a lot of ground to cover," she says.

As they get on, the shady man slowly gets back up, "Hey, you people," he calls them.

"Are you serious? You want to get hurt even more?" Eizen asks.

The man stands back up now, "I hear you're...looking for someone," he says, smirking.

…

Back in Mistral, Velvet, Ruby, and their group finally make it into Haven Academy. Walking through the main courtyard while checking out the various school buildings and architecture, the team feels relief at having finally made it after taking so much time to get here.

"We finally made it," Ruby mutters, smiling a bit.

Velvet walks up and wraps an arm around her shoulders, "Of course we did. Together," she says, smiling back.

However, they also begin to notice something else. The school is practically empty.

"So, if this is a school then where are all of the students and teachers?" Magilou asks.

Just then, Bienfu comes out, "Yeah, it's like a ghost town around here. It's kind of creepy, if you ask me," he notes.

"I guess the fall semester must not be in session yet. That would explain why there don't seem to be any students here. But, we haven't seen any of the teachers either," Jaune adds.

Qrow walks ahead of them, looking worried, "No, something isn't right. Come on," he says and walks ahead.

The group walk inside one of the main buildings, once again finding no one around, which only makes Qrow worry even more.

"This isn't good. Follow me," Qrow says and races ahead, causing the others to chase after him. Once they reach a set of double doors, Qrow pulls out his weapon, causing the others to do the same while Bienfu goes back inside Magilou, who conjures an orb white energy in her hands.

"Get ready," Qrow says and then kicks the door open, only to reveal professor Lionheart on the other side.

"AH!" Lionheart screams before passing out and falling onto the floor.

Qrow loses his balance and follows suit, while everyone else just stands there, confused.

"Um, what just happened?" Magilou asks.

"Professor... Lionheart?" Ren slowly asks.

The two older men slowly rise to sitting positions.

"Qrow, you nearly scared me to death! What were you thinking?!" Lionheart asks.

Qrow stands up, "Me?! Lionheart, you said you were going to meet us at the entrance to the school," he points out.

Lionheart raise an eyebrow before pulling out a pocket watch and checking the time, "Oh, my mistake. I guess time ran away from me. I forgot," he says as he gets up.

"A headmaster of the school forgets about an important meeting? That doesn't sound right," Velvet notes, hand on her hip.

Lionheart then turns to the students, "Aw, you must be the students Qrow mentioned," he says.

"Yes sir. My name's Ruby Rose. This are my friends, Jaunce Arc, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie. Magilou actually isn't a student, but she's helping out. And this is my girlfriend Velvet Crowe," Ruby introduces everyone.

"Ah, I see. Leonardo Lionheart, at your service. I'm afraid most of my staff is away until classes resume-," Lionheart begins.

Qrow gets in his face, "What?! Lionheart, what do you mean they're away? Who's guarding the relic?" he asks.

Lionheart gets concerned, "Qrow, what about the children-," he's about to ask.

"I've already filled them in. Now why don't you tell me what's going on," Qrow asks.

Lionheart just thinks about his words, "You... filled them in?" he mutters.

…

Meanwhile, in Menagerie, sounds of combat are heard behind the Belladonna household. Blake Belladonna backflips into the air as she dodges a strike from one of Rokurou's swords. As soon as she lands on the ground, she jumps forth towards her opponent. Rokurou smirks and swings around to strike her down with his right sword, but Blake uses her semblance to dodge the strike and roll underneath his attack, getting behind him. She jumps up to swing her katana at his back, but he blocks with his left sword moved behind him. Blake grits her teeth before jumping back. Switching her weapon into his pistol form, she takes a few shots, but Rokurou uses one technique to slide past each round, getting back into Blake's face. Swinging his blades in a cross slash, Blake has barely enough time to jump and twirl in the air just above the attack in slow motion. However, she can't react fast enough to avoid a kick to the skull by Rokurou, sending her crashing into the side of a nearby tree. Getting back up, Blake sees Rokurou sheathing his brother' sword, now wielding his Kurogane Stormquell with both hands. He runs at her, and she gets ready to counter him. However, he pulls off another surprise when he suddenly pulls out and throws a pair of daggers at her. Blake ducks low and they stab the tree just above her head, but that distraction is enough to give Rokurou the chance to swing his sword up close, stopping it just before it touches Blake's throat. The two warriors stare sat each other, waiting for the other to make a move. Blake very slowly moves her pistol to aim at one of Rokurou's legs, but he grabs her wrist with his right hand.

"Ah, ah, ah, I don't think so," Rokurou says, still smirking. Blake eventually sighs and drops her weapon before raising up her arms in surrender. "Alright then, I'd say that's enough for now," he says as he pulls back and sheathes his sword and then goes for his daggers. "You've gotten better. Of course, I've been doing this for a lot longer than you, so you still have a long way to go before you can have a chance at beating me," he notes.

"Um thanks... I think," Blake mutters the last part. "Anyway, where did those daggers come from?" she asks.

"Oh, these," Rokurou says, holding up a pair of single-edged daggers with reddish, purplish blades that give off a slight demonic feel to them. "Before I got the bad boys on my back here, I used these daggers to fight with. I worked on mastering the art of dual-wielding in order to beat my brother. But I also created a technique that uses three swords together in order to finally take him down. I still hold on to these for memories sake, and in case I need them, or want to have a little fun and surprise my opponents, kind of like I just did now," he explains.

"I see... Well, I'd better get back inside. I need to help me dad with preparing his speech for the Faunus of Menagerie," she says as she prepares to walk back inside.

"Hey," Rokurou calls out, stopping her. "You know, the White Fang is not going to like this, including that old friend of yours, Ilia. We'll have to deal with her sooner or later," he notes.

Blake glances away, looking solemnly at the ground, "...I know," she says before leaving.

…

Back in Mistral, Ruby is in her room, reading some comics on her bed, with Velvet sitting next to her, polishing her foot blades.

"So, how do you think our conversation with Professor Lionheart went?" Ruby asks.

"He pretty much said that he can't help and that we're on our own, even after Qrow told him that Raven Branwen has the Spring Maiden and that we know where she is. I'm guessing it really didn't go well at all," Velvet replies.

Ruby laughs a little nervously, "Heh-heh-heh, um right, that. You think it was okay that we didn't tell him about you having a part of the Fall Maiden's power?" she asks again.

"I think it would be best to keep that in the group, at least for now. I just met the guy, and I already don't trust him as far as I can throw him. Better to be safe than sorry for now," Velvet replies as she puts her metal shoes back on.

"I guess you have a point. I just hope Uncle Qrow gets back soon so we can figure out our next move," Ruby says.

Velvet pets her head a bit, "I'm sure we'll figure something out. We always do," she says.

This makes Ruby smile, "You're right. Thanks Velvet," she says. However, they hear a little commotion outside and a moment later, Magilou pops in through the door. "Magilou? What's going on?" she asks.

Magilou scratches her cheek a bit, "Um, you two may want to come out here and see for yourself," she says before leaving, making the couple stare at each other in confusion.

They come into the living room, only to find everyone else staring at a VERY drunk Qrow laying on the couch.

"I found him, ha-ha-ha," Qrow drunkly notes.

Ruby sighs and hands her face in her left hand, "Uncle Qrow, did you get drunk again?" she asks, already knowing the answer.

"Maybe a little," Qrow replies, still wasted.

Velvet deadpans, "I still find it hard to believe that this idiot is Ruby's Uncle," she mentally notes.

"Oh," they hear and look over to the front door to see a young boy wearing some farmer's clothing and has green eyes. "You... have silver eyes," he notes about Ruby.

This quickly makes Velvet get defensive and she stands in front of Ruby, "Yeah, what of it? And just who are you anyway?" she asks as everyone else stares at the boy, forgetting about the drunk Qrow on the couch.

The boy clasps his hands behind his back, "Well, my name is Oscar Pine...," he begins.

"Wait for it...," Qrow mutters.

"...But you may know me as Professor Ozpin," Oscar confesses.

This stuns everyone in the room, though Magilou doesn't appear too surprised, and Qrow is too drunk to care.

Qrow chuckles, "Heh-heh... I did it!" he cheers... before falling onto the floor and passing out.

"This just got a whole lot weirder for me," Velvet thinks.

* * *

And that's the chapter. I know I skipped the talk with Lionheart, but I couldn't really do much for Velvet and Magilou in that segment, so whatever. Everyone is moving onto the next objective in their paths, but who knows what awaits them? How will Velvet deal with Oscar and Ozpin? Until then, please Read and Review.


	70. Chapter 70: Unexpected Request

**Here we are at Chapter 70. We have now reached 400 followers! Thank you to all who have come this far with me in the story. A little flashback in this one while going along in the story. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 70. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 70: Unexpected Request**

 _...Flashback, before the start of volume 4..._

In the white void of Summer Rose's domain, five figures (and Bienfu) suddenly appear out of nowhere.

"Whoa, what's going on here?! Where am I?" Eleanor mutters.

"Eleanor?" she hears and looks over to see Eizen walking over to her.

"Eizen, what are you doing here? And for that matter, where is HERE exactly?" she asks.

"Beats me. I was just lounging about aboard the Van Eltia and then the next moment, I'm here. What about-," Eizen begins.

"If this is some kind of joke, I'm not laughing," they hear Zaveid next to them say.

Before they can acknowledge him, another voice rings out.

"Someone want to explain to me what's going on here?" they hear and look over to see Magilou, along with Bienfu and Rokurou walking towards them. "If this is some kind of magic trick, or an illusion; one, magic is my thing, and two, I've had enough of illusions for one life, thank you very much," Magilou whines.

"Anyone got any sake on them? I could use a drink to to clear this all up," Rokurou asks.

"Bien, I don't like this at all," Bienfu adds.

"What is going on? Why were we all brought here?" Eleanor asks.

No one has an answer, and they all start looking around, seeing nothing but white space around them... Except for one black spot a short distance away.

"Hey, what's that?" Eizen says, pointing at the black spot.

The others look in the same direction and start walking closer to the object. However, as they get closer, the form suddenly gets more detailed... and becomes very familiar.

"Wait, isn't that..." Eleanor begins until her eyes widen in shock. "...Velvet?!" she gasps and starts running towards her along with the others. They get close and see the demon girl floating in mid-air, eyes closed and looking like she's asleep. "Velvet! Velvet!" Eleanor yells, but just as she's about to touch her, a white field blocks her path and stops her advance. "What the- what is this?" she wonders as the others gather around Velvet.

"What's going on with Velvet? She's supposed to be dead, so what's she doing here?" Rokurou asks.

"This is getting weirder and weirder. I don't like it," Zaveid notes.

"Perhaps I can answer your questions," they hear and turn around to see Summer Rose standing behind them.

The sudden appearance of her makes everyone get defensive and draw their weapons.

"Who are you, and what did you do to Velvet?" Eleanor demands, aiming her spear at her.

However, Summer Rose remains calm, "My name is Summer Rose, and I haven't done anything to Velvet Crowe except give her a second chance at life," Summer says.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Magilou asks.

Summer walks past them to stand in front of Velvet, "When Velvet died in your world, I pulled her here and gave her the chance to live again, in my world. I wanted her to live a happy life after all the suffering she's been through, but I also needed her help to protect my daughter because of the trials that await her in the future," Summer begins to explain.

"Wait, what do you mean 'your world'?" Rokurou asks.

"It would be better if I showed you," Summer says as she turns around and raises her right hand.

A second later, white energy pours from her hand and connects to everyone's skulls, causing them intense pain. At the same time, images and knowledge are sent into their minds. A moment later, the force slows down until it stops and everyone feels relief from the experience as they hold their heads.

"My god... That was... those creatures...," Eleanor mutters.

"So many villages lost...I thought we did some damage back home. That was nothing," Magilou notes.

"Creatures attracted to negativity, growing stronger with each passing day. And the people losing hope," Eizen adds.

"That... was nuts," Zaveid mutters.

"What the Hell happened?" Rokurou asks.

"One of the huntsmen academies had fallen, and many lives were lost. Velvet Crowe was there, fighting alongside her new friends, trying to save Beacon Academy, but they were too late. Many lives were lost, and now Velvet's teammates have been separated, lost and in need of your aid," Summer explains.

"Wait, what about Velvet? How did she end up like this?" Eleanor asks, hand raised to her old friend.

"Velvet used her power and unknowingly absorbed a new power into her, that and other things occurred. I brought her here to rest, and to prepare her for the next stage of trails that await her. However, there is nothing you all can do for her here. But there is something you can do for her in my world, in her new home," Summer explains.

"What do you mean?" Eizen asks.

"As I said before, her teammates, her friends, are separated and need your help. Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. Ruby and Yang are my daughters, allow Yang and I aren't related, she's still my daughter to me. These four girls need help in order to get back together, because only together can they brave through the challenges that await them. That's why I need your help. They may be Remnant's last hope and if even one of them is lost, then all hope is lost. Ruby especially, and I am not saying that just because she is my daughter. Or because she's Velvet's girlfriend," Summer explains.

The last bit really gets everyone's attention, "Wait, Velvet and Ruby are together?" Eleanor asks, a tinge of pink on her cheeks.

"Wait, Velvet is gay? When did that happen?" Rokurou asks.

"Woo, who knew our resident demon girl had it in her? I certainly didn't see this coming," Magilou says, smirking.

"Yes, I know it must sound strange to hear, but it's the truth. Anyway, Velvet's teammates need your help. They need to get to Mistral, to Haven Academy, and reunite to stop those that seek to destroy mankind. Only with your help, will they be ready to make the journey and meet the challenge," Summer asks.

The others look back to stare at Velvet's floating form, wondering what exactly she has gotten herself into this time. And yet, they can feel the honesty coming from this Summer Rose before them.

"You're serious about this? About everything?" Eizen asks.

"Every word," Summer replies.

"And what about our world? Can we go back there?" Eleanor asks.

"Once you have completed your objective, you'll be able to return to your world," Summer says.

"One more question: in your world, is Velvet... happy?" Eleanor asks.

Summer offers a soft smile, "Yes, very much so, but not because of me. It was thanks to Ruby and her teammates. Even after her teammates learned the truth about her past, about what she is and what she did, they still accepted her as one of their own, Ruby most of all. Since then, she has learned to smile again, to enjoy life once more," she explains.

Eleanor turns back to Velvet one last time and gets a determined look in her eyes.

"Alright, I'll help you. I have a duty to protect the people as the new Sheperd. And to help Velvet in her new life," Eleanor decides.

"I'll help out too. I can't exactly let these Creatures of Grimm run around destroying everything in sight. The thought of it makes me sick," Eizen joins in.

"Hey, getting the chance to fight other people and check out their blades. Count me in," Rokurou adds.

"Same here, I've always loved a good brawl," Zaveid says.

"Well, it sounds like this will be one wild party. Sounds like fun, I'm in," Magilou says.

Summer breathes a slight sigh of relief, "Thank you, all of you. I am truly grateful. It seems Maotelus was right about you after all," she notes.

"Wait, Laph- I mean Maotelus told you about us?" Eleanor asks.

"Yes, he was the one that helped me bring Velvet here and then to my world. He said you would help when things got bad in Remnant," Summer explains.

Eizen grunts in amusement, "Heh, even now, that kid is doing crazy stuff and making one Hell of an impact," he notes.

"So, what do you want us to do, exactly?" Magilou asks.

"Each of you will be transported to a part of Remnant, near the location of one of the members of Velvet's team. But you must understand, aside from Ruby, the rest of the team are in dark places, unsure of what to do, and losing hope for the future. You must guide them back onto the right path, and then help them get back together. And it must be soon, for time is not on our side right now," Summer explains.

"So, they're down in the dumps after one bad loss, and we have to get them back into fighting shape, both physically and mentally. We can do that. So, who gets who?" Rokurou asks.

"Eleanor Hume, you will go to Atlas to help Weiss Schnee. Right now, her father is keeping her locked inside their manor and under his thumb. You must help her break free. As a side note, she and my other daughter Yang are in a relationship. Helping Weiss remember her love for Yang may help get Weiss' drive back," Summer begins.

"Understood. I won't let you down," Eleanor replies with a nod.

"Zaveid, you will accompany her as her malak. She will need your power while on her mission," Summer says.

Zaveid shrugs his shoulders with a smirk, "Fine by me. Ladies can never stay away from me," he jokes.

Eleanor rolls her eyes, "Wonderful," she mutters, a little displeased.

"Rokurou, you must reach Blake Belladonna. Her fear and her guilt are consuming her. If it is allowed to persist, she will never recover, and will fall into darkness... alone. Help her find her strength, and remind her of the ones she cares about and why she must fight," Summer explains.

"You got it. I'll whip her back into fighting shape. This should be fun," Rokurou smirks.

"Eizen, your charge will be Yang Xiao Long. She is still at my old home in Patch, but is living in despair after losing her arm and everyone else. Help get her fire back, and help her help Ruby. As someone who has a younger sister that he loves, I believe you can help her more than the others can," Summer states.

Eizen takes out his coin and flips it, "Yeah, I love my sister, but I stay away to protect her. But Yang needs Ruby, and vice versa. While I've got no place to say it, family should stick together, especially through the hard times. I'll help her out," he says.

"And finally, Magilou and Bienfu. Your task will be to help my daughter, Ruby. She is already on her way to Mistral with some of her friends from Beacon. But the journey will be treacherous and they may not make it. You must help them get to Haven Academy and wait for the others to join you," Summer asks.

"Sure thing. I'm actually a little excited to meet Velvet's significant other. Sounds juicy," Magilou says.

"Bien!" Bienfu adds.

"Again, thank you, all of you," Summer says.

"Of course, but what about Velvet?" Eleanor asks.

"Don't worry, she will wake up soon enough, and when she does, I'll help her with some training to learn how to use her new power. After that, I will send her back to find and reunite with Ruby. You'll all see her again soon enough," Summer answers.

"Okay then... Well, no time like the present. Let's get this show on the road," Zaveid says.

With that, Summer Raises her right hand again and more white energy pours from it, engulfing the group. A moment later, Velvet's friends are gone, leaving just Summer and Velvet once again.

"You must hurry. Save them, save them all," Summer mutters before turning to Velvet. "For now, I must prepare for my part. I can't let them, let HER win," she says.

 _...Flashback ends..._

In the forests of Anima, Yang, Weiss, Eizen, Eleanor, Zaveid, and the shady guy are sitting around a campfire in the middle of the forest as it gets dark out. Well, the others sit around the fire, the shady guy is tied to a tree to make sure he doesn't try anything.

"...Was it really necessary to tie me to a tree. I said I'd help you find Raven Branwen, didn't I?" the shady man whines.

"Yeah, but do you really think that's going to make us trust YOU, especially after you tried hitting on Weiss and Eleanor while you were wasted? We weren't born yesterday," Eizen retorts.

Zaveid smirks, "Yeah, and you definitely weren't born yesterday, old man," he jokes.

"You want to be tied to the tree right next to him?" Eizen threatens him.

"Any time, any place, my friend," Zaveid replies, not the least bit intimidated.

Weiss rolls her eyes, "I swear, you two are five years old," she says.

"You get used to it...eventually," Eleanor adds.

"Well, enough about that. We'd better turn in soon. We got a long day-," Yang begins until they hear some howling in the distance. "...Tomorrow," she mutters.

Everyone turn and stare at Eizen, "Yeah, yeah, I know. I told you, it's not like I can control my Reaper's Curse. Let's just deal with it, and then get some shuteye," he says.

A moment later, a pack of Beowolves and Creeps come stalking through the dark forest, causing everyone to stand and draw their weapons, while the shady guy starts freaking out.

"Hey, untie me and give me my weapon! I can help! Don't leave me like this!" the shady guy screams.

"No can do. You're staying there whether you like it or not. Just sit tight and shut up," Weiss says, preparing her weapon.

The horde of Grimm all charge at the group. Yang makes the first move by calmly walking towards them. When one Beowolf jumps at her, she ducks under its claws and throws an uppercut into its jaw, knocking it into the air before she kicks it into a second one. Eizen stomps on the ground, using an arte to send out a few stone spikes out from the ground, taking out two Creeps. He then throws a hard left punch at a third, punching through its chest. Pulling his arm out, Eizen watches the dead Grimm fall to the ground before turning to face some more. Eleanor and Weiss perform a combo move, with Weiss creating some glyphs in a parallel pattern, and Eleanor zooming between each one, using her spear to strike through several Grimm. After that, Weiss stabs her rapier into the ground, sending out a surge of ice to take out a few more Beowolves, while Eleanor performs several thrusts of her spear at another Beowolf, shredding it. Behind them, Zaveid swings his pendulums around, knocking around a few Creeps. He then conjures up a small tornado arte, sending a few more flying into the trees.

Zaveid grunts, "These guys aren't even worth a bullet from my gun," he mutters.

Yang fires off her guns behind her, propelling herself towards a larger Creep. Just as its about to clamp its jaws down on her, she fires off a shot aimed at the ground, sending her twirling over it and landing behind the monster. She spins around to through a hard right cross at the beast, sending it crashing into another Grimm. She finishes them off with a few shots to their skulls. Yang looks around to see that the others have taken out the rest of the Grimm pack and breathes a sigh of relief as her left hand starts shaking a bit. Weiss walks over and holds Yang's left hand until it stops shaking, helping her to calm down.

"Everyone alright? Eleanor asks as they regroup.

"Yeah, we're good. We should be fine from any Grimm attacks for a while," Eizen notes as he watches the Grimm bodies disintegrate.

"Uh, HELLO!" they hear and look back to the shady guy still tied to the tree. "I'm not okay, I'm still tied to a tree. I could've been killed here," he whines.

Zaveid walks up to him... only to punch him in the face, knocking him out.

"Man, that guy's annoying," Zaveid notes.

"Well, come on. Let's try to get some shut eye. We really need to get some rest now for tomorrow," Yang says, and everyone nods in agreement.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. A little short, I know, but I hit a little writer's block here and couldn't really think of anything good to finish up the chapter that would mean something. Anyway, now we know how the rest of Velvet's old crew got here and how they came to accept Summer Rose's request to aid the members of Team RVWBY. The next chapter will go back to Ruby and Velvet's group as they get to know Oscar and meet Ozpin again. What awaits Yang's group along their journey? What about Blake and Rokurou? How will Velvet and Ruby's talk with Oscar/Ozpin go? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	71. Chapter 71: An Interesting Conversation

**Here we are at Chapter 71. Time for Velvet and Ruby's special conversation with Oscar/Ozpin. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 71. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 71: An Interesting Conversation**

In Mistral, Ruby, Velvet, and their group sit around in the living room, with a now sober Qrow, and Oscar sitting on a couch next to Ruby and Velvet. Meanwhile, the rest of the group stand in front of Oscar, eying him like some long-lost treasure.

"Did he age back?" Jaune asks.

"He's possessed!" Nora adds.

"Or he reincarnated," Ren suggests.

"Or some crazy hocus-pocus, and that's my gig," Magilou adds.

"And I thought I was out there," Velvet ends it.

Oscar appears nervous, not used to the attention, "Oh believe me, it's pretty out there for me as well," he says.

"Hey!" Qrow calls out, getting their attention from his seat on another couch. "Yes, I'm sure this is weird for you guys, but remember, it's even more so for the kid, so give him some space," he tells them.

At this, the group gives Oscar some space, laughing a little nervously at the embarrassing display.

"Thank you," Oscar sighs in relief, while Qrow nods. Oscar looks at Ruby, who giggles a bit, causing the boy to blush. "Um, sorry, I've just never actually talked to real huntsmen and huntresses before," he says.

"Well, we've never met a person with two souls before. And believe me, we've seen and heard about some pretty strange stuff around here," Ruby says as she nudges Velvet a bit.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Velvet asks, a little offended.

"Oh, don't worry, you know I adore you," Ruby calms her down by leaning against her a bit and holding her hand.

"Get a room already," Magilou teases them, earning a glare from Velvet.

"Anyway, back on topic. Mind showing us your little magic trick there kid?" Qrow asks.

"Um, right, sure. Just so you guys know, I'll still be here," Oscar says.

The group looks on in slight confusion while Oscar takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. A moment later, he opens them up as they glow green and then his demeanor suddenly changes.

"...It is so good to see you again, students," Ozpin suddenly says while using Oscar's voice.

"Wait...Professor Ozpin?" Ruby questions.

"Correct. And though I may be the one speaking, Oscar is still present mentally. He's merely handed over the control, so to speak," Ozpin explains.

 _"Just don't make us do anything embarassing,"_ Oscar asks mentally.

"So, it is sort of like a possession. Nice call Ren," Velvet notes, while Ren nods in appreciation.

"I'm afraid this all must be very perplexing," Ozpin notes.

"And alarming, and bizarre, and just really kind of hard to believe overall!" Nora almost goes nuts.

"Eh, I've weirder back home, some of it because of me," Magilou shrugs her shoulders.

Ozpin looks to Magilou, "Um, pardon me, but I don't believe we've had the pleasure," Ozpin says.

"Hi there, the name's Magilou the Sorceress. I'm an old friend of Velvet's and I've come by to lend a hand. And to meet her girlfriend. And this is my partner, Bienfu," Magilou says as Bienfu appears on the coffee table.

"Hi there," Bienfu says.

Now Ozpin is a little stunned, "Fascinating, I've never seen such a creature before. What is he exactly?" Ozpin asks.

"A type of Malak called a Normin. Think of them like living spirits that grant powers to those that they make contracts with, meaning me. Get used to it," Magilou explains.

"I see. Even with all of my knowledge, I've never seen nor heard of such a being," Ozpin notes.

"Can we get back on topic, please?" Velvet asks.

Ozpin chuckles, "Heh-heh-heh, yes my apologies. Well, a pleasure to meet you, Miss Magilou, and you Mr. Bienfu," he replies, but then frowns. "I know you've all been through tremendous hardship already. I'm sorry," he apologizes.

"I mean, it's not your fault," Ruby tries to be supportive.

However, Ozpin remains unconvinced, "It's all my fault. I told you once that I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet, and I wasn't exaggerating. I'm... cursed. For thousands of years, I've walked the surface of Remnant, living, dying, and reincarnating in the body of a like-minded soul. The Professor Ozpin you all met was not my first form and clearly wasn't my last. It's... an extraordinarily strenuous process on everyone involved," Ozpin explains his condition.

"So, what are you exactly? Some kind of spirit, jumping from body to body?" Velvet asks.

"...Well, I am the combination of countless men who've spent their lives trying to protect the people of Remnant. With every rebirth, my soul is eventually merged with another and I am changed, but my memories stay with me. This curse was bestowed upon me by the gods because I failed to stop Salem in the past. But we must stop her now," Ozpin explains.

"Okay, and how do you want us to do that, exactly?" Magilou asks, crossing her arms.

"We start... by ensuring the safety of the Relic of Knowledge," Ozpin says as he leans back in his chair.

"Isn't that the relic kept hidden in Haven?" Velvet asks.

"Yes, it is. With things as they are, it is likely the next target for Salem and her forces, which is why we must protect it," Ozpin replies.

"So, what, we go up to Professor Lionheart, tell him what's going on, and you convince him to help us?" Jaune suggests.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. Qrow informed me about your previous meeting with Professor Lionheart. What he told me has left me concerned," Ozpin replies.

"Well, Lionheart wasn't exactly helpful when we talked to him. He did everything short of slamming the door in our face. It was pissing my off," Velvet says, earning a concerned look from Ruby who holds Velvet's hand in her own.

"Yes, that is the problem," Ozpin says as he stands up and starts to walk to a painting of Mistral on the wall. "You see, in times of reincarnation for me, I've left specific instructions for each of my Lieutenants, the other headmasters of the other academies, to follow. However, Lionheart is displaying unusual behavior. He's completely disregarding those instructions I've left him. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I don't want to rule anything out either. So, for the time being, I think it would be best to keep my reincarnation between just the people in this room," Ozpin says.

"Okay, then what are we supposed to do?" Jaune asks.

"We start by securing more huntsmen to the fight to aid us," Ozpin replies.

"But what about the council? They-," Ren begins.

"Don't own every huntsmen in the kingdom. And I know a few who just might be able to help us out," Qrow interrupts him.

"If they're trustworthy," Ozpin adds.

"You can trust them to put up a fight. I'll compile a list tonight," Qrow replies and goes to lay his feet on the coffee table, only for his semblance to go off, causing the table to break in half, spooking him a bit.

"Nice one, old man," Magilou jokes, while Qrow just groans a bit.

"Back on topic, what's the second step?" Ruby asks.

Ozpin walks by and picks up his cane, "Getting the rest of you into fighting shape," he says as he turns to them.

The teenagers look at each other in slight confusion, "But... we already know how to fight," Ruby notes.

Ozpin stands in front of Ruby and aims his cane at her, "You can only fight so long as you have Crescent Rose, but are lacking in hand-to-hand combat skills," he notes.

Ruby gets a little nervous, "Well, I know I'm not as good as my sister in that sort of thing, but I'm not that bad, right? Velvet?" Ruby asks her girlfriend.

Velvet glances away, "Um, well, is it okay if I agree with you, even though it's a lie?" she asks.

Ruby then looks betrayed, "Velvet, why?!" she cries.

"Anyway, next is you, Mr. Arc," Ozpin says, pointing his cane at Jaune this time. "I'm glad to hear you've improved, but I'm sorry to hear that you still haven't unlocked your semblance," he notes, making Jaune rub his head. "All of you have some improvements to make if you are to be ready for the battles that lie ahead of us. However, as for you," Ozpin adds as he turns to Magilou. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with your skills or abilities, so you'll have to show me what your capable of during the training sessions. However, if you're an old friend of Velvet's, then I can assume that your quite skilled in combat," he says.

"Hah, old man, you have no idea what I'm capable of," Magilou replies, liking the flattery a bit.

"Yes, well, as for you Velvet, you are quite skilled yourself. I'm not sure what's left for me to help you with," Ozpin says.

"Well, perhaps you can tell me more about the Fall Maiden's power," Velvet suggests, activating her part as the energy courses around her right eye.

This stuns Ozpin, "Wait, you have become the Fall Maiden now?" he asks.

Velvet deactivates her power and shakes her head, "No, I only have a part of it that I absorbed from Cinder at the Fall of Beacon. Right now, I believe it would be best if I tried to absorb the rest from her. Better for it to be with me than with her, am I right?" Velvet explains.

"I see. Well, you have a point. I suppose should we encounter Cinder Fall in the future, we'll need to you do this. This way, it'll give us an advantage over Salem's forces. That semblance of your certainly is interesting, to say the least," Ozpin notes about her demon claw.

Velvet looks down and Ruby holds her arm for support, "Yeah, about that. If we're going to work together, I think you need to know a few things. I still don't really trust you, Ozpin, but if we're going to do this, we need to do it together. I know that's what Ruby would say. So, I think you should know about me... and about where I come from," Velvet decides.

…

A while later after Velvet finishes explaining her origins to Ozpin, everyone watches him as he sits on the couch, taking all this information in.

 _"So, she used to be a human from another world, but then became a demon, did some things, died, and then was brought back to life in our world. I thought having a voice inside my head made me feel crazy,"_ Oscar notes mentally.

"...To think that Summer Rose would continue to surprise me, even in death, even to this day. She certainly was an incredible human being," he mutters before looking to Velvet. "What you've told me has certainly filled in many blanks that came into being when we first met. No wonder we could never find any information or records on you. However, what does concern me is what you did back in your world, when you were this 'Lord of Calamity'," Ozpin notes.

"If you were put in the same situation as I was, I bet you'd be a lot more understanding," Velvet retorts.

"Well, what you did in the past doesn't matter now. What you do now, in the present, does. We are on the same side, fighting against a common enemy. You've learned from your past, and Summer Rose saw the potential for redemption in you. I trust her judgment, as well as Miss Rose's judgment here. So, I will trust you, Velvet Crowe," Ozpin states.

Velvet actually feels a little relieved at hearing that, "Thank you," she replies.

"So, what now?" Nora asks.

"We continue with the plan, by helping you along with your training, along with Oscar's training. He'll inherit my muscle memory with time, and while he can give me temporary control, he'll need to strengthen his body and aura," Ozpin says.

 _"Wait, what?"_ Oscar asks.

"Physical training with you all will help expedite the process," Ozpin notes.

"But if Qrow is out looking for other huntsmen, then who's going to train us?" Ruby asks.

Ozpin suddenly jumps into the air with his cane, spinning counterclockwise into a barrel roll before landing onto the seat of the armchair, twirling his cane with style and a smirk.

"Well, I believe I WAS the headmaster of Beacon Academy," Ozpin notes.

The display leaves the members of Team RNJR with surprised looks on their faces, while Magilou looks a little perplexed, and Velvet just raises an eyebrow.

"We have approximately one month before classes resume at Haven. If Salem were to plan an attack, it would make sense that it would occur prior to students' return. It's not MUCH time, but it's better than nothing. Just don't expect me to go easy on you," Ozpin says as he stops twirling his cane around.

Just then his eyes glow green for a moment, a sign of him switching control back to Oscar. Oscar has a hard time keeping his balance on the armchair and quickly falls backwards, taking the chair with him and landing hard on the floor.

Oscar groans in pain, "You've gotta be kidding me," he mutters as everyone stares at him.

…

Meanwhile, it is late in Menagerie and at the Belladonna household, Blake's family, Sun, and Rokurou are all sitting around the table, having dinner while talking about Ghira's upcoming speech to his people.

"So, how's the speech coming along, Ghira?" Rokurou asks while sipping his tea.

"I think I'm just about done with it. After this, I'll finish up the rest and then look over it tomorrow before I call the people together. Some of what I plan on saying, the Faunus of Menagerie may not exactly be supportive of," Ghira replies.

"Maybe, but still, they need to hear it. We can't keep turning a blind eye while the White Fang continues their plans, and we can't let Adam attack Haven Academy. People are already looking negatively at Faunus, and the Fall of Beacon only made it worse. If the attack succeeds, then there may be no hope of peace between humans and Faunus," Blake notes.

"I am inclined to agree with you. The truth may be difficult to hear, but that makes it all the more important to hear it. We can't sit idly by anymore," Ghira replies.

"Well, don't worry, we've got your back, Mr. B," Sun says with a cocky grin.

Ghira just glares at him, "Suddenly, I'm feeling less confident about all this," he deadpans.

"You'll be fine, dear. It's not your first big speech," Kali supports him.

"Yeah, sorry I couldn't help out much with that. Writing speeches aren't exactly my specialty. I do better by slashing and breaking things rather than making them," Rokurou notes.

"Yeah, we've noticed," Blake says.

"Well, it's helped you get back into fighting shape. Now that nice blade of yours won't have to get rusty, and that's a real waste," Rokurou replies.

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Rangetsu?" Ghira glares at him.

"I'm talking about her katana, Ghira. Like I said before, I can appreciate a fine blade, and I hate seeing one go to waste. If you're worried about boy problems with your daughter, then focus on monkey boy here," Rokurou says, pointing a thumb to Sun.

Ghira then glares back at Sun, "Thanks for reminding me," he says, making Sun glance away with a nervous laugh while sipping his tea.

"Anyway, you think the White Fang will try something at this big speech of yours?" Rokurou asks.

"I wouldn't be surprised. That's why I'll have my guards around during the also have news crews coming in to tape the speech. Hopefully, this will help spread the truth that we want to be equals with humans; to peacefully coexist with them. We'll just have to wait, see, and prepare for whatever happens as best as we can," Ghira replies.

"Alright, enough about work. Let's just enjoy the rest of this meal together as family and friends, shall we?" Kali suggest, while the others nod.

The rest of the night goes quietly, and later on, Rokurou is seen outside Ghira's study, polishing his blades under the stars. However, a moment later, he stops and glances to his side.

"You know, you're gonna have to do a lot better than that if you want to sneak up on someone like me. So come on out," he says and looks to see Ilia land on the railing to the side. "Ilia," he notes before going back to polishing his swords.

"You're not gonna try and attack?" Ilia asks.

"Something tells me you didn't come here to fight," Rokurou notes offhandly.

"I just want to talk to Blake," Ilia says.

"No can do. If you want her, you got to go through me first," Rokurou replies.

"Please, whatever you guys are planning, it's not going to work. Just... just tell Blake to leave Menagerie before it's too late," Ilia asks as she takes off her mask.

Rokurou grunts, "You want her to run away again? Well, she's done running; from her past, and from the people she cares about. Blake's not gonna run from this. She's done letting her fear get to her. Unlike you," Rokurou notes as he finally looks at Ilia.

"What's that supposed to mean? I just don't want Blake to get hurt, but I don't want her getting in our way either," Ilia retorts.

Rokurou sighs, "You care about her, don't you? And I suspect, it's more than just as a friend," he says, making Ilia look a little surprised before looking away. "If you truly care about Blake, then you'd be fighting by her side, rather than against her. I've seen plenty of people like you. Full of hate and bitterness... It's that same bitterness that turned me into this..." he says as a breeze of wind blows by, allowing Ilia to see his demon eye. "I know what it's like to fight out of hate. Trust me, I know that better than anyone else, and I also know that it doesn't work in the end. I still have some hate left in me, but I also have many other things in me that are stronger than hate and bitterness. It's those things that have allowed me to reach where I'm at today," Rokurou says before he stands up and sheathes his swords. "If you truly want things to be better for the Faunus, then you need to stray from Adam Taurus' path. If the attack on Haven succeeds, then Faunus will be seen as monster by everyone, forever," he says.

Ilia looks down, contemplating his words, before she glares back at him and puts her mask back on.

"You don't know anything about me, or about what I've been through," Ilia replies before she jumps into the shadows and disappears.

Rokurou watches her go and sighs again, "I know more than you realize kid," he mutters.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Velvet reveals her origins to Ozpin, and Ruby's team prepare for the next stage in their mission for Haven and the Relic of Knowledge. Meanwhile, Rokurou has a little chat with Ilia about what she should really be fighting for. Who knows what may happen next? Will the speech go well? Will Velvet learn to fully trust Ozpin? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	72. Chapter 72: A Step Further

**Here we are at Chapter 72. Time for a little training, and a little surprise at the end of the chapter. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 72. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 72: A Step Further**

It is the afternoon in Mistral, and the sounds of fighting are heard near the house that Ruby and her friends are staying at. In the courtyard of said home, Nora is seen standing a short distance away from Magilou, the former wielding her mighty hammer, and the latter with a few cards in her left hand. Nora roars and charges at her opponent, only for Magilou to conjure up and arte and create a wall of water to block her path. Nora hits the wall with her hammer, but because it took her by surprise, her swing is off and she gets pushed back. Magilou drosp the wall while sending off a glowing green ball of energy at Nora, nailing her hard. Nora grits her teeth and runs at Magilou again. Magilou jumps around her swings and finds an opening to throw her cards at her opponent, knocking her off balance. Creating a larger card, she swings it around, smacking it into Nora and sending the pancake queen into a tree behind her. Magilou then has her card grow to an enormous length as Nora stagger to her feet.

"Ascending Angel!" Magilou calls out her mystic arte and smashes it down on Nora hard.

The other members of Team RNJR cringe back a bit as the sparring match ends. A moment later, Ren and Jaune go to check on their teammate.

"Alright, I think that's enough of a beating for now, Miss Magilou. It's clear where Nora needs to work on in her training now," Ozpin says, having taken control of Oscar's body earlier. "Alright, time for our next training session. Oscar will join in on this one. We'll have Velvet spar with Ruby and Oscar," he says.

 _"Wait, what?!"_ Oscar says mentally before he gets control of his body back.

"Come on, the faster we get started, the faster we get done," Velvet says offhandedly as she walks forth.

Ruby and Oscar walk to one side while Velvet stands at the other.

"So, how good is she at this stuff?" Oscar whispers to Ruby.

Ruby leans in, "She never lost a fight at Beacon," she whispers back.

"So basically, we're in trouble," Oscar mutters.

"Yep," Ruby replies, popping the 'p'.

"Ready when you two are. Let's get going," Velvet says, beckoning them with her right hand to come at her.

Ruby and Oscar hold up their fists and slowly start walking around Velvet, who makes no motion at all except for putting a hand on her left hip. After a few tense moments, the two race towards their opponent. Ruby throws a punch aimed at Velvet's head while Oscar aims low with a kick aimed at her legs. However, Velvet, simply steps back and grabs Ruby's thrown fist, pulling her along and causing her to fall onto Oscar, making them both fall to the ground. The two quickly get back up and continue their attack. Ruby jumps into the air to throw a kick, but Velvet deflects it with her right hand, spinning Ruby around and kicking her butt (literally), sending her tripping back. Oscar comes in, throwing a few hooks, but Velvet easily blocks them all with her hands. She throws a punch of her own, which Oscar manages to block, but leaves his lower waist open and she sweeps him off his feet with her left leg.

"Come on, you can do better than that," Velvet notes, looking like she's getting bored.

Ruby and Oscar get back on their feet, stepping back a bit to regain their bearings and think of a different plan. The two then run around Velvet before closing in in a pincer attack. Ruby ducks low to throw a few uppercuts, which Velvet leans back to avoid, but then Oscar comes in from behind to throw a right cross at her back. Velvet backflips over Oscar, landing behind him and causing Ruby and Oscar to nearly hit each other. Luckily, they manage to stop just in time and breathe a sigh of relief. Unluckily, this gives Velvet and opening and she roundhouse kicks both of them away and onto the ground. The two slowly get back up, rubbing their heads.

"This isn't going well," Oscar groans.

"You're telling me," Ruby agrees.

"Come on guys, it shouldn't be that hard to land a hit on me," Velvet notes.

"Well, excuse us for not being good at fighting without our weapons," Ruby pouts.

"Or having no formal training or experience in this kind of thing to begin with," Oscar adds.

"Alright, how about we sweeten the deal. Ruby, if you can land ONE hit on me, I'll give you a special kiss as a reward," Velvet says, giving a slight wink to her girlfriend.

"Really?! Okay, now I'm getting motivated!" Ruby cheers.

"Um, what about me?" Oscar asks.

"You get a pat on the back, and a 'good job'. That's all I'm giving you," Velvet replies.

"Uh huh, I see," Oscar mutters, not as enthusiastic as Ruby.

"Come on, let's get to it!" Ruby yells.

The two ready their fists once more and slowly make their way towards Velvet. Ruby makes the first move, running towards Velvet and jumping into the air to throw a side kick. Velvet bats it away and has Ruby land behind her. Oscar gets to Velvet's left side and throws a few punches while Ruby turns around to join him. Velvet dodges the attacks and then sidesteps Ruby as she tries to tackle her, grabbing the end of her cloak and pulling her back off her feet. She then catches one of Oscar's thrown fists and lands a hard right hook to his face. Oscar staggers back, his aura having been deactivated by Ozpin earlier. Ruby gets back on her feet and goes after Velvet again, only for the older girl to grab her right wrist, swing her around while grabbing her left and pulling her arms high while having their faces close.

Velvet smirks while looking into Ruby's eyes, "I'm starting to believe that you don't want that kiss," she notes.

Ruby grits her teeth and tries to kick Velvet, only for her girlfriend to sweep her of her feet and throw her into Oscar who comes in from behind. Velvet wipes her hands while the two get back up one last time. Ruby runs ahead of Oscar, and then slides across the ground at Velvet's feet. Velvet jumps over her, only to see Oscar run at her. She throws a punch of her own, only for Oscar to duck low and then try to nail her chin with his head. However, Velvet leans back to avoid it and then makes a backflip kick that knocks him back into a tree. Velvet notices Ruby coming in from behind, jumping high into the air for one more punch. Velvet easily sidesteps the attack and pushes Ruby forward, making the cloak wearing girl lose her balance as she trips over the downed Oscar and faceplant into the tree herself before falling to the ground in defeat.

"Ouch, they're gonna feel that in the morning," Nora notes.

"Okay, I think that's enough punishment for today. Be sure to move with the right foot forward, try not to make your movements so obvious, and watch for any openings in your stance. Your opponents will definitely exploit those things, understand," Velvet instructs them.

"Got it," Ruby groans in pain on the ground.

"Ugh, I don't feel so good," Oscar groans with her.

"As for you, we'll have to work a lot more with you. But then again, you've never done this sort of thing so that's expected," Velvet says to the farm boy.

"Understood," Oscar mutters, but then Ozpin takes control again.

"Very well said, Miss Crowe. Don't worry, with more practice, Miss Rose and Oscar will surely improve on their skills," Ozpin says as he slowly rises to his feet.

 _"Before or after I taste the ground a few more times?"_ Oscar mentally asks.

Velvet helps Ruby onto her feet and then gives her a kiss on the cheek.

"Was that the 'special' kiss you were talking about?" Ruby asks, blushing a bit.

"No, that was a concilation prize. As for the actual kiss, you can try again next time," Velvet says before she walks ahead of Ruby.

"I'll get that kiss, one way or another," Ruby mutters.

After a few more training sessions, the group decide to head in for something to eat after a hard day's work. The group sit around the dinner table, with only Qrow missing as he's still on his search for more huntsmen to aid them.

"Well, anyone else feeling the pain from our training sessions?" Nora asks while rubbing her head.

"Like they say, no pain no gain," Jaune notes.

"If it was that simple, then you would've surpassed me in skill by now," Velvet says, making Jaune groan a bit, and making Ruby snicker a bit.

"We all have something that needs improvement. We never did complete our training at Beacon. There is always room for improvement," Ren says, sipping his tea.

"Well, aside from me anyway. I am always perfect no matter what stands in my way," Magilou says.

"Yeah, except when it comes to cooking, sailing, or a lot of other things," Velvet deadpans.

"Hey, I resent that. That's no way to talk to a maiden," Magilou retorts.

…

Meanwhile, in Menagerie, Rokurou is outside Ghira's study, having a few cups of Sake as he enjoys the quiet night under the stars. A moment later, someone walks up to him.

"If it's not working on your blades, it's having some sake. Don't you have anything else you could be doing?" he hears and looks over to see Blake standing near him.

"Hey, politics and rousing speeches are your father's thing. I'm really only good with blades and slashing things... oh, and drinking sake. We all have our roles to play," Rokurou jokes.

"And what's your role, as a squatter?" Blake asks.

"Hey, it's not like I'm going to be here forever. Just a little while. If it helps, I did pay for this sake with my own money," Rokurou says.

"You're not even from Remnant. How'd you get your hands on some lien to by sake?" Blake asks, crossing her arms.

"I have my ways. Best not to think too much on it," Rokurou replies, taking another cup.

Blake sighs and walks over to the railing to look out into the night.

"Do you think this will work, really?" Blake asks.

"Who knows? Like I said, I'm not good with fancy speeches. What I do know is that there's no use in trying to predict the future. We just have to make the best move we can possibly make, see where the chips fall, and react accordingly. No use in overthinking things," Rokurou explains.

Blake glances back at him, "Seems like pretty simple thinking. If only the world was that simple, then maybe things aren't as bad as they are now," she notes sadly.

"No use crying over spilled milk, or maybe spilled sake in this case. Just have to go with your gut and do what you gotta do. That's pretty much how I've lived my life. According to my own creed... Tell me Blake, have you found your creed yet?" Rokurou asks.

"I'm... still thinking about that. I don't want to run anymore. I see that now. But, after running away so many times, from so many people that care about me, people that I care about, do I even have the right to stop running and make up for my mistakes?" she laments.

"Don't ask me. That's a question that only you can answer. What I can say is that the most important questions in life aren't always the easiest to answer," Rokurou tells her.

Blake sighs, "If I wasn't underage, I'd probably ask for some of that sake right about now," she notes.

"Hey, if you want some, just ask," Rokurou smiles.

"I just said I'm underage. If my Dad found out that I tried some sake when I'm not old enough, he'd ground me, and then he'd try to kill you. Sun's already on enough thin ice with him as it is. I don't need you on his hit list too," Blake reminds him.

"Hey, I've been on the hit list for a lot of people. One more is no sweat off my back. Sounds like it could be fun even," Rokurou says, then laughs a bit.

Blake sighs again, "And you're supposed to be older than me. Guess only in body anyway, but not in spirit," she deadpans as she looks back out into the night.

…

Back in Mistral, Ruby's group have just finished their dinner and are now sitting around the table, having some tea with some mild conversation with Tales of Velvet's journey in her old home.

"So, sounds like you got to travel to a lot of different places," Jaune notes.

"Yeah, luckily Eizen's ship, the Van Eltia, was an impressive vessel. We were able to get around rather easily for the most part. When we were on land, taking care of business, the ship would sometimes head out to chart the world, search for unexplored lands, and see if they could find any treasure lurking around. We actually found a few interesting items. This pendant is not only one of those items; it's also the first thing we found," Velvet says, gesturing to the red pendant around her neck. "Truth be told, I wasn't interested in it, nor any kind of jewelry, even before I became a demon. I guess I was more of a tomboy back then," she notes.

"Huh, I wonder what you would be like if..." Jaune mutters as he starts to picture Velvet as more of a girly-girl, only to shudder a bit.

Velvet glares at him, "You just thought of something involving me, didn't you?" she accuses him.

"Who, me? Nah, oh wow this tea is really good," Jaune tries to play it off, sipping his tea with a smile while avoiding Velvet's gaze.

"So, what other kind of things did you find?" Ren asks, curious.

"Well, some clothes, a few sculptures and art pieces, a few odd objects. I never really focused much on that stuff. The crew on that ship certainly knew how to find things though. However..." Velvet trails off.

"However... What?" Ruby asks.

"Well, the crew as always happy to take orders from me, and when I berated them on something, it only seemed to drive them further to do their jobs. Almost like they enjoyed being scolded by me for some reason. It was a little weird," Velvet notes.

"They probably got a kick out of being ordered around by a pretty girl whose clothes didn't leave much to the imagination. Bow-chicka-bow-wow," Nora jokes.

"You wanna get sent flying again like during the food fight from Beacon?" Velvet threatens her.

"I'm good," Nora quickly says before drinking her tea again.

Ruby giggles a bit, "Oh, don't worry Velvet, she's just playing. I'm sure they were just happy to have a pretty girl like you on their ship," she says, giving Velvet a peck on the cheek to cheer her up, which does the trick as it makes her smile.

"Well, of course they were happy. They had a beautiful maiden like me there to bring smiles to their faces," Magilou says a little dramatically.

"Weren't you more of a supporting character for Velvet since it was her journey we were a part of?" Bienfu jokes.

"What was that?" Magilou growled.

"Bien!" Bienfu screams as he runs away with Magilou on his tail.

"Get back here, you ungrateful hat-wearing plush toy!" Magilou yells as he chases him, making the rest of the group laugh.

"Well, anyway, it really sounds like you had some exciting times with your old friends back in your world," Jaune notes.

"Yeah... though, I never really focused on that stuff when I was on my journey. It took me nearly to the end of it to remember what was truly important. To be able to smile again. But..." Velvet trails off before she holds Ruby's hand in hers. "Then I met Ruby. She helped me learn to enjoy life again, and to smile more. I'll always be grateful to her for that," she says, making Ruby blush a bit as she stares right at her.

"Ew, get a room," Magilou says as she walks back, holding Bienfu in his hands and pulling on his cheeks while he cries.

This makes the couple separate, blushing a bit. Just then, the front door opens up and in comes Qrow.

"Hey gang, sorry I'm late. I've been busy," Qrow says.

"Uncle Qrow, how goes the hunt for more huntsmen?" Ruby asks.

"Eh, so far not too good. They've got a lot of huntsmen out on missions already, and we don't exactly have the time to wait for them to come back. Luckily, the list I made is a long one, and there's still plenty left on there to search for. I'll continue my search tomorrow," Qrow explains. Qrow then glances at the couple and then everyone else. "So, how about I take some of you guys out for a night on the town. My treat, and besides, Oscar and Magilou are the least familiar with this place anyway," he offers.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's go," Ruby says.

"Eh, not you kiddo. You and your girlfriend can stay here for the night. I'll take you two out another time. Besides, we need someone to watch the house anyway. Everyone else, let's go," Qrow says and starts walking off.

Ruby pouts a bit at not being able to go, while Velvet rubs her back to make her feel better. Everyone else leaves with Jaune approaching Qrow.

"Why aren't we taking Ruby and Velvet with us?" Jaune asks.

Qrow glances back, "I think those two deserve some time to themselves. It's been too long since they've had this opportunity. Let's give them some space. Come on," he says and leaves along with the rest of the group.

A little later, Ruby and Velvet are in their room, with Ruby reading some comics and Velvet combing her hair with her signature comb. However, Velvet notices the slight sullen look on Ruby's face.

"You still sad that Qrow didn't take you with them?" Velvet asks as she puts her comb away.

"Huh, oh no, I'm fine... Well, mostly," Ruby says.

Velvet feels a little bad for her, but then gets an idea. She walks over to Ruby, and then takes her by surprise by picking her up in her arms bridal-style, making the younger girl squeak a bit. Velvet then carries her to their bed and lays her down before crawling over her to straddle her. Ruby blushes a bit, but smiles before they share a loving kiss. A few seconds later, they separate for air.

"So, feel better now?" Velvet asks, smirking.

"Yeah, I feel a lot better now. Thanks Velvet," Ruby replies.

The two look at each other before engaging in another kiss, only this time with more passion. Ruby wraps her arms around Velvet's neck, whole Velvet rolls her hands across Ruby's sides. They separate again, deep blushes on their faces, and breathing a little heavily. They can both see the love and passion in each other's eyes. However, there's still one thing left to figure out.

"Ruby, are you sure?" Velvet asks slowly. Ruby nods, but that's not enough. "Ruby, I need to hear you say it. Are you sure?" she asks one more time.

"Velvet, it's okay. Please... take me," Ruby whispers.

With the last barrier down, Velvet closes the gap between them. The last thing that's seen is Ruby's cloak falling onto the floor.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Another training session, that ends with a night of passion (still, trying to keep it rated T here, so the rest is up to your imagination). The next chapter will focus on some of the other members of Team RVWBY. Sorry about the late update, things have been really hectic with work lately. Anyway, what will happen next? How will Yang react when she finds out what Ruby and Velvet did? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	73. Chapter 73: A Misguided Blade

**Here we are at Chapter 73. Let's get back to Blake and Rokurou in Menagerie. Rather than do the assembly scene from the episode, I decided to do something else where Rokurou can have more of a role to play. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 73. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 73: A Misguided Blade**

In Menagerie, things aren't exactly going so well for Blake and her family. Earlier that day, Blake's father, Ghirs Belladonna, had called for a big assembly of the Faunus of Menagerie, along with some journalists and news crews to broadcast the event. He made it known to the populace about Adam Taurus' plans to take over the White Fang, and attack Haven Academy. When he said it was time to step up and stop him from making the Faunus looking worse to the world, the people were cheering for him. But, when he said that they should go to Haven to protect it, they quickly became more hesitant. It only got worse when Ilia interrupted the event and slandered the Belladonnas for wanting to help the humans, and then quickly made an escape before the authorities to detain her. All-the-while, Rokurou watched the scenario unfold before him.

The next day, Rokurou went walking around, scoping out the town and seeing what the populace thinks about all that was said at the assembly. He walks around the port, listening in on the conversations going around.

"I don't like what the White Fang is doing, but is it really a good idea to go to Haven?" one male Faunus asks.

"Why should we help the humans? It's not like they'd do the same for us," another says.

"I came to Menagerie to escape the violence, not to just go back into it with a weapon in my hand," a female Faunus says.

Rokurou listens in intently while walking by; the people paying him little mind. He eventually gets a drink and sits down at a table by the ports.

 _"The people around here don't seem too keen on joining the fight. The only way for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. As long as they sit around and do nothing, things are only going to get worse for them. Silence can be also be a form of consent. After all, it's not like they're saying they don't agree with Adam Taurus' actions,"_ Rokurou thinks while sipping his drink.

"I don't like this at all," he hears a female aquatic Faunus say from the waters below him. "I don't agree with how the White Fang have been doing things, but I don't want to have to fight either. Wouldn't it be better to just wait until things get better for us?" she asks her friend.

"All I know is, I don't want anything to do with this little crusade the Chief is going on about. I mean, I respect him a lot; he does a lot for us, but I don't want to have to put my life at risk," another female aquatic Faunus says.

"You wait too long for something to happen, and it may never happen," Rokurou says, gaining their attention. "I understand not wanting to risk your life, but don't you think some things are worth the risk?" he asks them before sipping his drink again.

"And how would you know? You don't know what it's like for Faunus out there. The problems of the other kingdoms are not our problems. If you ask me, they brought this on themselves," the second girl says.

"And what do you think will happen if Adam succeeds in taking over the White Fang and destroys Haven Academy. After the Fall of Beacon, opinions of Faunus have dropped big time. How bad do you think it will be if Haven falls because of the White Fang?" Rokurou calmly retorts, making them hesitate to reply. "And just because you leave someone alone, doesn't mean they're gonna leave you alone. The problems of the kingdoms will eventually spread here to Menagerie, and then there will be nowhere on Remnant that the Faunus can feel truly safe," he says and gets up after finishing his drink. "Sometimes the worst action to take... is no action at all. And living in fear is no different than not living at all," he says and then leaves, causing the two Faunus to stare at each other with unsure eyes.

Rokurou continues walking through the town, hearing different versions of the same thing from the Faunus around him. He sighs and takes a detour, going down a darkened pathway west from the direction of the Belladonna home. As he walks down, he begins to feel like he's being watched as he glances around. It gets quiet as he feels he's gotten far enough away from the rest of the populace and soon comes into an opened space with just the trees and some wooden crates around him.

"Alright, you can come out now," Rokurou calls out.

Just then, a group of White Fang members jump down from the trees, surrounding him on all sides. One of them... is Ilia.

"You actually walked right into our trap. I can't tell if you're incredibly brave, or just that stupid," Ilia notes.

"You do know that I kicked your butt the last time we fought, right?" Rokurou notes, not nervous at all.

"That was only because I was alone and you surprised me. It won't happen this time. Get him!" Ilia calls out and the White Fang members attack.

Rokurou pulls out his swords and waits for them to get close. One attacks with a spear, and he knocks it off target with his left blade before making a quick swing with his right downward to break the blade end off, and then spins around to deal two blade strikes on his opponent to take him down. After that, another Faunus attacks with a shortsword. However, Rokurou blocks with his right blade and kicks him in the gut, and then makes a cross slash to knock him back. Ilia joins the fray, swinging her whip blade around at Rokurou, but the demon samurai swings his left sword around into a reverse grip and has the whip wrap around his left blade. Ilia tries to electrocute him, but he stabs the sword into the ground, causing the electricity to travel into the ground instead of towards him. One member attacks with a downward swing of his blade, causing Rokurou to let go of his weapon. However, when the member attacks again, Rokurou wields the blade with both hands and makes a super-fast swing, ending up behind the member, who falls to the ground. Two bandits come at him with more spears, but he throws his daggers at their hands, separating them from their spears. Making a quick grab of his left sword, Rokuorou charges at them with his blades reeled back. A few quick swings and he's right behind them while they fall to the ground. After that, it's just him and Ilia now.

The chameleon Faunus swings her whip blade around at him several times, but Rokurou blocks each strike with his swords.

"You know you can't beat me, so why even try? But then again, I've faced powerful opponents in the past with little chance of winning, only to come out on top in the end. But I did have some help from my old friends. I guess there's no shame in trying. However, I pity your blade," Rokurou says.

Ilia recalls her whip back into his blade form, "What's that supposed to mean?" she asks.

"Throughout this short fight, I can feel it. The conflict from your blade that's coming from you. You're doing what you think is the right thing to do for your people, and yet at the same time, you're hesitant. I can only assume that's because of your history with Blake," Rokurou explains.

"THAT is none of your business. You don't know anything about me, or about her," Ilia angrily retorts.

"I know that you two were old friends once, and that she doesn't want anything bad to happen to you. I also know that you don't want anything bad to happen to her. All that inner conflict is expressed in your blade, and that's why it's pitiful. The truth is that you don't want to fight Blake at all, but think you have to because after everything you've been through, that fear and hate are the best choices for getting what you want. A blade used for reasons like that is just pathetic in my eyes," Rokurou says, a gust of wind blowing by to show his demon eye again.

"Just who... just what the Hell are you?!" Ilia yells.

"I'm just a guy who loves a good blade, a good sake, and a good fight. That's all there is to it," Rokurou replies before sheathing his blades. "You'd better get going. The authorities will be here soon. Your friends here are gonna have to get locked up, but that doesn't mean you should be with them when they do," he says.

"Why are you letting me leave?" Ilia asks.

"Who knows. Blake still seems to have faith in you. Maybe I'm just taking a chance on that faith of hers. I like to gamble a little bit sometimes to. Makes things more fun. Now get going, and remember what I said. A blade being used when your hearts not truly in it, is a blade that's bound to break at some point under the weight of your inner conflict," Rokurou says. Ilia grits her teeth a bit, but takes her leave anyway. Rokurou sighs and looks to the unconscious White Fang members around him, "Welp, better get these guys taken care of," he mutters.

…

Later that evening, Rokurou is back at the Belladonna household, explaining what happened earlier that day to the family. However, he left out the part about letting Ilia go.

"To think that the White Fang would be so brazen as to attack you in broad daylight," Ghira mutters.

"To guy are getting out of control," Sun notes.

"You said Ilia was there, but she wasn't with the members we arrested. Where did she go?" Blake asks.

"She must've run off when she saw her buddies getting their butts kicked by me. I beat her once before, so when she saw that their numbers were decreasing and soon enough it would be just her, she decided to make like a tree and leave. Oh well, we'll just have to get her next time," Rokurou shrugs his shoulders.

"Well, we at least got some more of their members arrested. The less they have running through town, the less control they have over the Faunus in town," Ghira notes.

"Did they say anything that could help us?" Kali asks.

"Nope. They didn't really say anything other than that they want me gone, and then the fun got started," Rokurou says.

"The ones we captured have been keeping their mouths shut as well. They're nothing if not loyal to their cause," Ghira adds.

"Well, at least we've got a few more of their members off the streets. The less forces they have at their disposal here, the easier it'll be for us," Rokurou notes.

"Well, what do we do now?" Kali asks.

"We continue with the plan. Blake, Sun, and Rokurou, I want you three to go out through the populace to try and get volunteers that will join us in our mission to protect Haven Academy. I want as many people to fight with us, but I will not force them to fight in this battle if they do not wish for it. That would make us no better than the White Fang. Until my messenger returns from his mission to Haven, we have to focus on what we can do here. I'll do my part in getting things ready for the voyage. Hopefully we can get a lot of volunteers for the mission, otherwise we'll be in some trouble when we get there," Ghira explains.

"Okay, we'll get started on that early tomorrow," Blake says, nodding her head.

"Welp, I'll see you guys tomorrow then," Rokurou says and takes his leave.

…

Outside Ghira's study, Rokurou polishes his blades, focusing on Kurogane Stormquell at the moment.

"Well Kurogane, it looks like things should be getting a little more challenging. How do you think the others are doing right now? Yeah, I'm sure they're fine. They're all a couple of tough fighters, if our past adventures are anything to go on," Rokurou notes.

"Do you always talk to your swords?" he hears and looks to the side to see Blake walking up to him, Gambol Shroud in her hands.

"Don't you?" Rokurou asks as he goes back to polishing his swords.

Blake sits next to him, "Not really. However, my team leader, Ruby Rose, is a total weapon nut. I'm sure you two would get along quite well," she notes.

"Heh-heh, she sure sounds like it. You told me about her once before. What kind of weapon does she use again?" Rokurou asks.

"Well, she uses a scythe that also doubles as a sniper rifle. She said she went a little overboard in customizing it so it's a little over the top. However, she knows how to use it quite well. She learned how to use it when her uncle trained her with a scythe. Her uncle was a teacher at Signal Academy and is apparently a veteran huntsman, so he's quite skilled himself from what Ruby and Yang told me about him. She said that she was 'complete garbage' before he started training her personally," Blake explains as she pulls her blade from its sheathe.

"I see. Hopefully, I'll get to meet her someday. I'm not much of a fan for ranged weapons like guns, but if her weapon is still a bladed weapon, then I'd love to get a look at it," Rokurou says. Blake hums as she starts polishing her own blade. "Don't think I've ever seen you work on your blade before," he notes.

"I always polish it and keep it in good condition. But... after talking with you, and thinking about how well Ruby takes care of her 'precious sweetheart', I think I haven't shown Gambol Shroud as much respect as I should. I built this weapon and overcame many opponents with it as well, but I guess I never really thought to much about it. A weapon is more than just a tool; they're an extension of ourselves. They're a part of us, as Ruby once said. Gambol Shroud is my partner, and I want to thank you for helping me remember that," Blake says.

"No problem. Buy me a jug of sake, and we're even," Rokurou jokes.

Blake deadpans, "I can't buy you sake. I'm not even old enough to do that," she notes.

"Ugh, I can't get anywhere with women," Rokurou says before he laughs again.

"Listen, about Ilia, did she really escape during the fight?" Blake asks, getting serious.

Rokurou stops laughing, "...Nah, I let her go," he admits.

"Why?" Blake asks.

"Who knows. Maybe it was on a whim. Maybe I thought that locking her up again on house arrest wouldn't really solve your problems with her. Maybe I thought that the only way to get through to her is to fight her head on and make her see the error of her ways. Her blade is decent, but because of why she uses it, it's become pitiful. I could her blade crying as I fought her. A weapon is an extension of ourselves, so if the blade is crying, then maybe, she's crying too. Maybe deep down, that old friend of yours is still in there, deep within that hatred that she's brewing outward. I can't reach her... but maybe you can. She's hesitant to fight you, and I think deep down she still considers you a friend. Why else would she try to get you to leave, but have no problem coming after people like me, people she doesn't really know that well? I know you don't really want to fight her, but if you're going to get through to her, you're gonna have to fight her. The best way for two warriors to understand one another is to cross blades with one another. That's part of the code I live by; my creed, to quote an old friend," Rokurou explains.

Blake thinks upon his words, "I see. I think you're right. I don't want to fight Ilia, but if I'm going to save her from Adam's influence. I'm gonna have to. Deep down, Ilia is a good person. Things have just been so hard for her, that maybe it's become difficult to see the right path that she needs to take. After struggling for so long and following the wrong people, I think that she decided that it would be easier to take the same path that Adam is taking. But, just because one path is easier than the others, that doesn't mean it's the right path to take. I realized that when I learned how my running away from my teammates was a mistake. I once said that it was really hard to stay with them when they got hurt because of me... but I think I was fooling myself. I've always run away when things got too hard. I always took the easy way out... But no more. I'm done running. When we settle things here, I'm going to stop Adam from destroying Haven. I'll confront him, and this time I won't run away. I'll fight... with Gambol Shroud," Blake declares.

Rokurou smiles, "Good. I can see your blade smiling now," he says.

"Huh?" Blake mutters, but then looks at her blade, seeing it shine a little brighter than before, a different feeling to it now. "What happened?" she muttered.

"You were so focused on your big speech that you never noticed how much polishing you did to your blade. However, I think that your weapon has been waiting for you to finally say those words. A blade isn't meant to be used to run away, or to rust. It's meant to be used to fight. You're ready to actually start fighting now, and I think that made Gambol Shroud happy to hear that," Rokurou says.

Blake stares at her blade, "I see... Gambol Shroud, you've been waiting for me too, haven't you?" she mutters.

"You've got yourself a fine blade there, Blake," Rokurou says.

Blake smiles at him, "I had a good teacher, and a good friend. Thank you, Rokurou," she says.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Rokurou has a little chat with both Ilia and Blake. It didn't go so well with Ilia, but it seems Blake has finally realized the true meaning behind his words. Now comes the next step in her mission in Menagerie. We'll be getting to Yang and Weiss in the next chapter, with a little bit of Ruby and Velvet. Who knows what will happen next? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	74. Chapter 74: Of Fire and Feathers

**Here we are at Chapter 74. Time to see what Yang and Weiss have been doing since we last saw them. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 74. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 74: Of Fire and Feathers**

"Someone want to explain to me how I'm floating like this?! It's freaking me out?!" the shady man says as he hovers in mid-air while moving forward.

Yang and Eizen drive their motorcycles with Eleanor and Weiss riding with them. Meanwhile, Zaveid (who is in Eleanor at the moment) uses his wind artes to keep the shady man suspended in mid-air as they ride through the forest on their way to Raven's camp.

"Just keep your mouth shut unless we ask you something about the camp's whereabouts. It's either that, or you stop floating and start skidding along the dirt road. Your choice," Eizen calls out.

"Just keep your cool and tell us how much further. The sooner we get there, the sooner you can get your feet back on the ground," Yang says.

The shady man quickly looks around, "Um, just up ahead. You can pull to a stop there in the clearing," he says.

A few moments later, the group come into an open space in the forest and pull over to a stop. Zaveid puts the man back on the ground and he dusts himself off from the air ride.

"Feel better now?" Eizen asks.

"Just give me a moment alright. I almost had a heart attack over here. Maybe I need the pretty lady to help me recover," the shady man says while eyeing Weiss.

Yang steps in front of her girlfriend, "You so much as look at her the wrong way, and I will bury in pieces," she threatens him.

The shady man backs off, "I'm good, I'm good. Okay, just let me go ahead and check around to make sure the coast is clear," he says before running off into some bushes off to the side.

"You know I can protect myself, right?" Weiss asks as she walks up to Yang.

"Yeah, I'm well aware, I just don't like the way he talks to you or looks at you. It makes me sick. You're not some piece of meat to be ravaged. You're much more than that," Yang says.

Weiss smiles at the gesture and kisses Yang on the cheek, "And that's why I love you so much. Because of how much you care about me," she says, holding Yang's hand and making the blonde smile as she calms down.

Zaveid then joins in. "Anyone else feeling like that guy is taking too long. This is smelling like a trap to me," he notes.

"Of course it's a trap. I trust that guy as far as I can throw him. Let's get ready for the obvious fight that's about to happen," Eizen says.

The group get their gear ready, and a moment later, a shot rings out aimed at Eleanor, only for Zaveid to block it with one of his pendulums. The group look around to see a large number of bandits surrounding with them with swords, guns, and even a few that don't have a weapon at all. Leading them is the shady man.

"Man, I can't believe you believed me and let me lure you here. You guys must be really stupid," the shady man says.

The group look around, unfazed, "Is this all of them?" Yang asks.

The bandits look puzzled, "Uh, yes blondie, this is all of them. Well, if you don't count the rest of the tribe waiting back at camp back that way," the shady man says, pointing behind him.

"That way, right?" Eleanor says, pointing to the same direction.

"Yes, sweetheart. That way," the shady man says.

"Well, thanks for the info," Zaveid notes.

"Now then, to pay me back for this tooth, we're gonna take your bike, and you're gonna take your lumps. And after I take your bike for a ride, I'm gonna take your little pretty girlfriend there for a ride too," the shady man says, pointing at Weiss.

Weiss aims her rapier at him, "Try it, and I'll be sticking my weapon where the sun doesn't shine with you," she warns him.

"Oooh, feisty, I'm gonna have fun watching the others break you down when I'm done with ya," the shady man replies.

Yang then activates her weapons, "You just signed your death warrant," she mutters darkly.

The bandits are actually a little spooked now, "Okay... Get them. Leave the white -haired girl to me!" the shady man yells.

The bandits attack, with some firing off their rifles. Weiss conjures up a glyph beneath her feet and shoots over at one bandit, dealing a quick thrust of her blade before making a pair of swings to finish them off. Meanwhile, Yang calmly walks up to one bandit that attacks bare-handed. She blocks one punch from him and then makes a low sweep kick to knock him off of his feet, ending it with a hard, downward punch to the ground. She then blocks an attack from behind and performs a roundhouse kick to knock him back. She then grabs him by an arm and flings him over her into another bandit that was making their way to Eleanor. Speaking of said spear-wielder, Eleanor twirls her spear around to block a few shots from one bandit as another charges at her with a blade drawn. Eleanor blocks a downward strike with her spear and then bats it away in order to shove the back end of her weapon into her opponent's chest. She then follows it up with an upward swing that sends him flying. As for the bandit firing at her, Zaveid comes in, knocking the rifle out of their hands with his pendulums and then makes a couple of hard punches to their face, sending them to the ground. Meanwhile, Weiss creates another glyph to send out a few fire balls at two bandits, blasting them away past Eizen. The Reaper catches a thrown punch from one opponent in his left hand and throws an uppercut so hard it breaks a few ribs and he simply drops them to the ground. Yang runs by him to jump into the air and deal a drop kick on one opponent, firing off her gauntlets to send her flying at another to deal a right cross to their face. Eleanor thrusts her spear several times in quick succession at another bandit, while Zaveid is behind her to block some bullets with his pendulums. The two then work together to create a wind arte that conjures a small tornado that blows both of their opponents away.

Seeing his comrades getting their butts handed to them, the shady man gets nervous but then notices Weiss with her back turned to him. He grins and runs at her. Weiss is focused on fighting against another bandit that she doesn't notice him coming. She manages to push her opponent through a black glyph behind them, sending them flying, and turns around just in time to see the shady man get right behind her.

"You're mine!" the shady man yells.

However, just before he reaches her, his left arm gets caught in Yang's grip, with Yang looking very pissed.

"Keep your perverted hands off of her," Yang growls.

She then throws a few punches to his chest and then jumps over him land behind him and throw a huge haymaker at his back, sending him flying into another bandit that just managed to get back up. After that, Yang and Weiss look around to see the rest of the bandits defeated on the ground, unconscious or in pain, thanks to their travelling companions. With the battle over, Yang's left hand starts to shake as she tries to calm down. Weiss notices this and holds her hand while kissing her cheek. The gesture helps Yang regain herself and she smiles in thanks.

"Well, that was a disappointment. These guys were no challenge at all. I'm getting bored here," Zaveid complains.

"I'd rather we have easy enemies to defeat for the time being. It would make our mission that much easier to accomplish. Besides, these criminals were harming innocent people, not to mention that one guy was incredibly rude, perverted, and downright repulsive," Eleanor notes, glancing at the unconscious shady man.

"Well, I think we got our point across. We know where to go now, so let's get going," Yang says as she starts walking back to her bike.

As she does, the shady man rises to his knees, "Who the Hell are you? It doesn't matter. When Raven finds out about what you did, you're dead, and so are all your little friends here," he warns them, grinning.

Yang sighs, "Possibly, but I doubt it. I am her daughter after all," Yang admits, while the others smirk.

Hearing this makes the shady man turn pale, "Oh crap... I'm dead," he mutters.

Eizen then walks up to him, "Now then... Take us to your leader," he demands.

…

In Mistral, Ruby's group is eating an early dinner in the living room of their house.

"So, how was the trip through Mistral guys?" Ruby asks while eating her meal.

"It wasn't too bad. I mean, I know a lot about Mistral, so not much surprised me. But it had been a while since I was last here so it was a good opportunity to retrace my roots," Jaune notes.

"I've never been to Mistral before, so I thought it was a good learning experience. I hadn't had the chance to see the sights when I first came here because I had to look for Qrow," Oscar says.

"Yeah, it didn't take you long to find me. Ozpin really does know me well," Qrow notes.

"So, what you two lovebirds do while we were gone?" Magilou asks.

At this, Ruby and Velvet go wide-eyed for a moment as their faces redden and they look away from each other.

"W-we mainly just hung out and talked while you were gone. It's not like there's much to do in this one house while we're holding down the fort," Velvet lies.

However, Nora notices their blushes, "Oh-ho, did something else happen while we were away. I mean, now that I think about it, you had the whole house to yourselves for a few hours. Anything... hot happen?" Nora asks with a knowing smirk.

"N-N-N-Nothing happened okay. We talked and hung out, and-and we kissed, that's all!" Ruby quickly retorts.

"Ruby!" Velvet yells, a little embarrassed.

"Nora, leave them alone. What they do in their private life is their business," Ren says.

Qrow facepalms, "Give me a break. I'm not nearly drunk enough for this stuff right now," he mutters.

"Will you all shut up already!" Velvet yells.

…

Back with Yang's group, they force the bandits (after slapping them enough times to wake them up) to lead them to the camp and grant them entrance. They walk through the camp, keeping their eyes out for all the other bandits in the vicinity. One bandit up front, a woman with short brown hair and a tattoo of a black bird on her left arm, walks out to check the commotion. Once Yang's group reach the center of the camp, standing before a large red tent, a woman with long black hair wearing a Grimm mask steps out. She pulls off her mask, revealing the face of Yang's mother, Raven.

"Mom," Yang mutters.

"...Yang," Raven notes and puts down her mask. "So, after all this time, you finally decide to visit me. I'm touched," Raven says, smirking.

Weiss holds Yang's arm to help her stay calm while Yang speaks, "You know that I searched for you. I spent years searching for you," Yang notes.

"And now you've found me. You were patient, determined, and strong enough to make your dreams a reality. Well done, Yang. But, did you and your friends have to be so rough with my men?" Raven asks.

"Maybe if one of your 'men' had shown my girlfriend some respect, then I wouldn't have had to clean his clock," Yang replies.

"Besides that, how can we just allow criminals like you just do as you please and not have any kind of repercussions," Eleanor adds.

"I know my daughter, and I know her little friend there. But, you three I don't know. You are who exactly?" Raven questions Yang's companions.

"We are Yang's friends, and we're here to help her with her goal," Eizen says, crossing his arms.

"Who we are is of little importance to you. What matters is why we are here," Eleanor adds.

"Well, whoever you, are I guess it IS of little importance. You lot have proven your strength; you most of all Yang. So, in light of this, I will answer any questions you have, and I'll allow you to stay the night here. Your little friends are free to join you as well. I'll even have the cooks make something for you all tonight," Raven says.

"That's not why we're here," Yang almost yells.

Raven stares at her, "What was that?" she asks.

"I'm not here for you. I'm here for my sister, Ruby. She's in Mistral and she's going to need my help. I just need you to take us to her," Yang says.

Raven crosses her arms, "And why would I do that?" she asks.

"Because she's your daughter. Because she's your family," Weiss says.

Raven grunts, "Hmph. Family. Only coming around when they need something. I must admit, I was hoping for so much more from you Yang. After all, you were able to find me. Why not use that drive to find your precious sister. You're allies here seem like they know a thing or two. Perhaps they can help you find her instead," she says.

"Unfortunately, we don't have the time for a wild goose chase," Zaveid says.

"We came to you because you're going to save us time. Ruby is going to Mistral, but there's no guarantee that she's already made it there. However, Dad told me about how your semblance works," Yang says.

"...Tai," Raven mutters begrudgingly.

"You can bond to certain people. And when you do, you can make a portal that takes you straight to them. You've got one for Dad, one for me, and you've got one for Qrow. Uncle Qrow is with Ruby. He promised me that he'd look out for her before they left. And I trust him. So, make us a portal to my uncle and sister, and we'll be out of your hair," Yang says.

"You know, it takes real strength to march in here and demand such a favor of me. I've got to say, I'm impressed. It's very noble to want to help out your sister. But if she's with Qrow, then she's already a lost cause," Raven notes as she walks off to the side.

"What does that mean?" Yang asks.

"You don't want to get mixed up in all of that, Yang. Ozpin is not the man you think he is. And Qrow is a fool for trusting him. I would know, I trusted him once, too. If your friends here ar as smart as they appear, then they would do the same," Raven explains.

"I don't care what you think," Yang states.

"We're not here to help Ozpin. We're here to help Yang and Weiss. That's all," Eizen says.

"Your choice is your own. All I'm suggesting is that instead of getting wrapped up in something too big for you, for any of us, that maybe you take a moment to wonder if you're already where you belong," Raven says.

"I'm not like you," Yang mutters.

Raven grunts again, "And what about you lot? Are you sure you want to keep following them, knowing you're walking towards your own demise?" Raven asks.

"I already have a crew. When I'm done here, I'll be returning to them. I'm here to help them. That is part of my creed," Eizen says as he steps forth. "I control the wheel of my own ship. If I'm not the one steering the ship, then I am not truly alive. THAT is my creed," he says, flipping his coin.

"You may not want to fight this battle, but we do. We don't care how dangerous it is. This is our choice, and you can't change that," Eleanor adds.

"I know Yang, and I know she won't abandon her family like you did. That's one of the reasons why I love her so much," Weiss states, holding Yang's hand even tighter.

"...So you can spout off whatever nonsense you want, but nothing is going to keep me from helping my sister," Yang declares.

"...Well aren't you all stubborn," Raven notes.

"I get it from my mom," Yang says.

"Well, if that's how you all feel, then it appears we have nothing left to discuss. Escort them out," Raven says as she turns her back to them.

The group look around as the bandits surrounding them start walking closer to them with weapons drawn.

"Did you not hear us?" Yang yells, gaining her mother's attention again. "I said send us to Qrow damn it!" she yells, her eyes turning red.

"That's enough! You watch your mouth in front of our leader!" one leader yells from the side.

Yang's group prepare their weapons to fight, "Make me," Yang challenges him.

The bandits get ready to attack. However, before the fighting can begin, a sudden roar his heard from the horizon. Even stops and looks out to the forest beyond the camp walls.

Eleanor turns to Eizen, "Eizen!" she shouts.

Eizen facepalms, "Sorry, my bad. You know you should be used to this by now," he replies.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Again, a little short, but it's the best I can do for this chapter for now. Anyway, Yang and her party meet Raven, but now thanks to the Reaper's Curse, they have a bigger problem to deal with. We'll see how the others are doing in the next chapter. Will Yang's group survive this next challenge? Will they convince Raven to help them? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	75. Chapter 75: Of Dates and Dads

**Here we are at Chapter 75. Let's get back to Ruby, Velvet, Rokurou and, Blake as they continue their mission in Menagerie. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 75. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 75: Of Dates and Dads**

In Mistral, Ruby's group are hard at another day of training. This time, Oscar, with Ozpin in control, is duking it out with Jaune in a hand-to-hand sparring match. Jaune is throwing a few punches at Ozpin, who blocks with his arms held up. Ozpin then throws two cross punches at Jaune, who ducks under them and throws an uppercut that Ozpin leans back to avoid. Meanwhile, the others watch from the sidelines.

"They're both getting better at this. Remember when we first started at Beacon; how Jaune was back then?" Nora asks.

"You mean how he was basically a walking punching bag for just about everyone in the school?" Velvet deadpans, resting her chin in her right hand like she's bored.

"Hey, I heard that!" Jaune yells.

But his focus is off, and Ozpin takes advantage to throw a punch to his stomach, followed by headbutt to his chin.

"Try not to lose focus in the middle of a fight, Mr. Arc. It will cost you," Ozpin instructs him.

Jaune rubs his chin, "Ugh, yeah, I got it," Jaune groans before getting back in the fight.

"Ugh, this is getting boring. Let's spice things up a bit," Magilou whines before she pulls out a card and throws it at the fight. It hits the ground between the two fighters and they turn to stare at her, just as everyone else does. "Now dance, dance to the waltz that the mighty sorceress, Magilou, is playing!" Magilou shouts as she starts throwing card after card at them.

Ozpin then turns control back to Oscar, "What are you doing?!" Oscar yells as he ducks under one card thrown at him.

 _"You might want to start running,"_ Ozpin calmly notes.

Oscar and Jaune start running, ducking, and doing whatever they can to avoid Magilou's cards of doom, while the others watch on, unsure of what to do.

"Um, should we stop her?" Ruby asks Velvet.

Velvet sips a cup of tea that she got from out of nowhere, "Nope. I'm starting to enjoy myself now," she says, and sips her tea with a small smile.

"How many cards does she have, and where does she get them from?" Nora whispers to Ren, who just shrugs his shoulders.

Magilou laughs evilly as she throws some more cards. Jaune does a jump split over one card, rolls underneath another, and ducks under a third, only to get blown back by a fourth that blows up in front of him. Meanwhile, Oscar is just running around frantically, trying to avoid getting blown up. He makes some rolls to avoid a few cards, but then ends up doing a crab walk to barely dodge two more. After a few more moments, Magilou finally settles down.

"Ah, now that was fun... So, you two still alive over there?" Magilou calls out.

Everyone looks to see Jaune and Oscar laying on the ground, panting heavily, but alive.

"She... She's a monster," Jaune barely gasps.

"I can't even feel my toes," Oscar adds as he tries to catch his breath.

Ruby just glances at Velvet, "I'm glad Magilou's on our side," she mutters.

"She always prefers to do things her own way. Nothing new there," Velvet notes.

…

Meanwhile, in Menagerie, Rokurou is having a drink with Ghira in Ghira's study as he goes over some paperwork.

"So, how's the plan to get people to join our cause?" Rokurou asks, taking a sip of his drink.

Ghira sighs, "I wish I could say that it's going well, but that would be far out to left field. The people have been quite hesitant to join us, and even thow Blake and her friend have been out there, trying to get volunteers, so far no one has stepped up," Ghira explains.

"Hmm, I've been listening in around town, mingling with the common folks to see what's on their minds, and what's on their minds isn't good. They're scared. They want to help you, but they don't want to have to put their lives on the line. So, they're taking the easier of the two options," Rokurou says.

Ghira rubs his eyes a bit, "I knew there might be a few that would be hesitant, but I didn't think it would be this bad. I believed that the Faunus of Menagerie would do the right thing, but maybe when I asked them to fight for the humans that forced so many of them to this island, maybe I was asking for too much," Ghira laments.

"We just have to find a way to inspire them enough to join the fight. And soon, too. Because if this Adam Taurus gets his way, blood's gonna be spilling not just in Mistral, but in Menagerie soon enough as well. Faunus aren't looked in a good light, but if Haven falls, that light will go out completely," Rokurou says, sipping his drink again.

"I know," Ghira mutters.

"Well, we just have to keep trying and figure a way out of this funk. There's not use in sitting around, crying about it. Blake and Sun aren't giving up either, so we have to keep up with them," Rokurou says.

Ghira nods, "Agreed... Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you... You're not 'interested' in my daughter, are you?" Ghira asks, getting really serious.

Rokurou chuckles, "Heh-heh-heh, no way, papa bear. I think of her as a friend and a fellow blade wielder. That's all. I came to help because she's a friend of my friend, Velvet. As for going anywhere further than that, I'm not interested. No offense to you or your daughter. I just haven't had the best of luck with women in the past, and blades are much simpler to deal with," Rokurou replies.

"How so?" Ghira asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, they don't try to kill you in your sleep or steal your stuff when you're not looking, or pour acid down your throat, use you for a human experiment, or try to cook you alive," Rokurou says, a big grin on his face.

Ghira deadpans, "Just what kind of women were you dating before? On second thought, I don't want to know," he says, shaking his head a bit.

"Well, anyway, you don't have to worry about me. You'd probably have to be more worried about Sun hitting on your daughter. Speaking of which, why don't you like the guy? I mean, yeah, she's your daughter. You want what's best for her, and you're trying to protect her. I get that, but don't you think you could give him a little bit of a break though?" Rokurou asks.

Ghira sighs, "Maybe, it's just... Blake is growing up, I know this, but I just want to make sure that the man she ends up being with is the right man for her. Especially after what happened with Adam Taurus," he notes.

"Yeah, Blake told me a little about that once. They were close once, right?" Rokurou asks.

"Very. She admired him back when she was with the White Fang and cared about him. However, over time, she began to see the kind of person he really is, a person I did not want her to be with because I could see the kind of monster he truly is. While it may sound a little bad to say, I am glad she didn't end up with him and follow down the same path as him. Blake is a sweet girl, who cares about her friends and family, and I know that I can't always be there to protect her. She's growing up, and I want there to be someone there to help her and protect her when I can't. I was just thinking it would be someone... different than this Sun character," Ghira explains.

Rokurou grunts in amusement, "Heh, that's interesting. While I admit, he may not look it with how he dresses, he's actually a good guy that looks out for his friends. I mean, let's run down a list. One: he followed Blake all the way from Vale because he wanted to help her. If he didn't care about her at all, he wouldn't have bothered and moved on to someone else. Two: he's a skilled fighter. Granted, he still has much to learn and I'm not a fan of the kind of weapon he uses since there are no blades involved, but that's just me. And third: we know that Blake doesn't talk much and is more introverted, while Sun rarely shuts up and is more outgoing. You know what they: opposites attract. Besides, he helped Blake realize that she was making a mistake by running away from her friends. I just sort of added to that effect. While yes, there are times where he can be a big idiot, no one is perfect. Just give him a chance, and I'm sure he'll prove worthy of your blessing," he explains.

Ghira glances away, "As much as I hate to admit it, you have a point. I guess I could at least give him a little bit of a chance to prove himself. Besides, they're not actually together right now, anyway. There's always time for her to find someone else," Ghira says as he goes to sip his drink.

"So, when's the wedding?" Rokurou jokes, making Ghira do a spit-take with his drink.

"THERE IS NO WEDDING!" Ghira yells, going into dad mode.

…

Back in Mistral, Ruby's group are back inside the house after another hard training session, and after Magilou had practically knocked out Oscar and Jaune with her little performance. Ruby is coming down the stairs from her room and sees Velvet checking her weapons by the front door.

"Hey Velvet, what are you doing?" Ruby asks as she walks up to her girlfriend.

"I'm just going to take a little walk around town. I've never really been to Mistral before and I want to see some of it with my own eyes. We saw some of it with the others when we first came here, but we had business to take care of before, so we didn't really have a chance to look around. Since Jaune and Oscar are pretty out of it, I figured Ozpin wouldn't mind... And I wasn't gonna wait for his approval anyway," Velvet explains.

"Oh, can I come with you?" Ruby asks.

Velvet smiles, "Sure. I'd like that. We can sort of make a date out of it," Velvet says and offers Ruby her arm. "Shall we?" she asks.

Ruby giggles and takes the offered arm, "Yes, we shall. Onward!" she cheers.

The pair leave the home to explore the kingdom. They walk through mostly the upper sections of the kingdom to stay away from the lower areas where Qrow says things tend to be a little less... friendly. Ruby has a big smile on her face at being able to have another date with Velvet, being as how they haven't had one in a long time. They visit the shopping district first, checking out the stalls, some of which they've seen, while others not so much. Velvet almost had to drag Ruby away when they found a few weapons stalls in the district, and her weapon-loving girlfriend was mesmerized by them. Soon enough, the pair find a spot to get something to eat at a place that specializes in seafood dishes. Ruby has some fried flounder while Velvet has some shrimp skewers.

"Enjoying your meal, Ruby?" Velvet asks.

Ruby chews through some of her food, "Oh yeah, this is really good. It's been too long since we've last been on a date, don't you think?" Ruby says.

"Yes. A lot has happened since our last date. It feels like a lifetime ago," Velvet notes.

"Hey Velvet... Do you think, after all this 'save the world' stuff has been taken care of, could we go on another date like this?" Ruby asks.

Velvet sees the concern in her eyes and shows a soft smile, "Of course. And we'll try and make time for dates along way, don't you forget. We can't always be fighting every moment of every day. It's moments like these that are one of the reasons we fight after all. But, let's not worry about that right now. Let's just enjoy ourselves, okay," Velvet says.

"Yeah, I guess you're right... Remember back at Beacon when you were becoming popular with the boys, and the girls, and I got a little jealous of them?" Ruby asks.

"Heh-heh, how could I forget? I believe you threatened a few of them at one time, said that you would 'use their bones to sharpen Crescent Rose's blade' or something to that affect, correct?" Velvet asks.

Ruby rubs her head a bit, "Heh-heh-heh, I may have gone a bit overboard a bit..." she says and then frowns. "But, it's because I was worried," she admits.

"What would you be worried about?" Velvet asks.

"I was worried... that you would end up being with one of them instead of with me. I know I'm not the smartest. Weiss has that nailed down. I also wasn't the prettiest girl. Yang took that one. And as far as being cool and chill, Blake had that role. Plus, there were other girls there that were hotter than me, and I couldn't really compete with them in a lot of aspects that most girls have. I just never thought you'd actually want to be with me," Ruby explains, looking said.

Velvet can see the worry written all over Ruby's face, and gently takes Ruby's hand in her own, gaining her attention.

"I choose you Ruby. I CHOSE you. Not because you were the prettiest, even though I think you are, and while you may not have been the smartest girl in school, or the calmest and collected, you had something none of the others had. You have a heart that's bigger and kinder than any other I've ever met, in both my old world and this one. You accepted me for who I am and what I am, and who I was. You have always been there for me. I fell in love with you because you are you. Nothing else matters. I am yours and you are mine, or have you already forgotten our special night together?" Velvet says.

At this, Ruby blushes, "O-Of course not. I could never forget that... It's kind of hard to," she replies, embarrassed.

"Heh, so you see, you have nothing to worry about. I wouldn't have done that with just anybody. I love you, Ruby Rose. And that will never change," Velvet says, smiling.

Ruby smiles back, "And I love you too, Velvet Crowe," she says.

"Come on, let's finish up our meal and then get ready to head back. We can check out a few other places on our way home," Velvet suggests.

"Sounds like a great idea," Ruby concurs.

…

Back in Menagerie, Rokurou dukes it out with Sun in a little sparring match, with Blake watching from the sidelines. Sun twirls his staff around, while Rokurou blocks the strikes with his blades. Sun jumps into the air to smash his staff down on Rokurou, but the demon samurai catches the staff in between his blades and moves it to the side, giving him the chance to kick Sun away in the stomach. Rokurou then makes another attack at Sun, jumping into the air and spinning sideways at Sun with his blades like a buzzsaw, forcing Sun to block with his staff, but gets knocked back. Rokurou allows Sun to get back on his feet and the two stand a short distance away from each other, waiting for the other to make the next move. During this time, Ghira comes out to watch the fight and stands next to his daughter.

"How's the sparring coming along?" Ghira asks.

"It's going somewhat. Of course, Sun isn't doing too well against Rokurou. The difference in skill and experience between the two is like a go-cart going up against a semi-truck. Rokurou's holding back to make things a little more even. Of course, I'm pretty much in the same boat as Sun. I'm nowhere near skilled enough to defeat Rokurou either," Blake says, sitting down on the stair next to her father.

Ghira crosses his arms, "I see..." he trails off before sighing. "So, this friend of yours, can he be trusted?" he asks.

"Yes, as strange as it sounds. He's always there to help his friends. He may a little annoying at times, but he means well. He helped me realize that I made a mistake by leaving me friends behind, thinking that they would be safe without me there. He's a dork, but he's a good friend," Blake describes Sun.

"Uh-huh, and... you... like him, right?" Ghira asks the big question.

Blake quickly blushes at this, "W-W-Where did that come from?!" she almost yells.

"I can sort of understand, Blake. You're at that age, and you're getting curious about boys your age as well. While, I admit, I really don't like him, he has at least been helping us as best as he can in getting the Faunus to join our cause. And if you trust him, I can at least give him SOME benefit of the doubt. But only SOME," Ghira says.

"Dad, now is really not the time to be having this conversation!" Blake tells him, embarrassed.

"I'm just saying, that if he wants to have even a small chance with you, he needs to earn my blessing first," Ghira adds.

Blake covers her blushing face in her hands, "Just please, stop," she pleads.

"Um, is everything alright?" she hears and looks to see Rokurou looking at them confused, while Sun is on the ground behind him, on his hands and knees and having trouble getting back on his feet.

"I could use some help here," Sun groans.

Blake, however, quickly takes her leave before Sun has a chance to find out what's going on and make her feel even more embarrassed, leaving both Ghira and Rokurou confused.

"What did you do?" Rokurou eyes Ghira.

"Why do you think I did something?" Ghira retorts.

"Because I know I didn't do anything, and banana breath here is too exhausted to have done anything," Rokurou says, gesturing to Sun, who now collapses completely onto the ground.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Took a little while to figure out what to write in this chapter, but what can do you do. The next one will be going back to Yang and Weiss' group, and all the chaos that comes with that. Rokurou continues his time with Blake and her family while preparing them for the battles that await them. Meanwhile, Ruby and Velvet spend some more time together after so much time had passed since their last date. Anyway, will Ghira ever give Sun a chance? Will Rokurou get Blake and Sun ready for the next big battle in time? Will I ever figure out where Magilou keeps all of her cards? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	76. Chapter 76: A Long Day

**Here we are at Chapter 76. Let's get back to Yang's group as they encounter another problem due to Eizen's reaper curse. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 76. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 76: A Long Day**

At the Branwen tribe camp, Yang's group and Raven's bandits hear the sounds of animals howling in the distance, only they know it's not regular animals. And it's getting closer.

"What did you people do?!" Raven yells at Yang's group.

"You should've listened to us in the first place. If you had, we wouldn't have to deal with this problem?" Weiss yells back.

"You see, Eizen's Reaper Curse brings misfortune wherever he goes. Had you simply done as we asked, this wouldn't have happened," Eleanor explains.

 _"Wait, does he possess a semblance just like Qrow's? Argh, just when I thought I was done with that crap,"_ Raven thinks before putting her mask on. "Alright everyone, get your weapons ready. We've got Grimm coming, and they're not here for an afternoon tea," Raven orders her men, who all start moving to get ready for the attack. "And you need to get out of here. Hopefully, that will alleviate the problem," Raven demands.

"Unless it's to send us to my sister, we're not going anywhere. I'll make you a deal: we help you fend off the Grimm and in return, you take us to Ruby. Deal?" Yang stands her ground.

"And why would I agree to something like that?" Raven retorts.

"Because you can't afford not to. We're not leaving, and the longer we stay, the worse it may get. We help you, and you can get rid of both the Grimm and us. Do you really have a choice here?" Eizen says, Grimm roaring in the background to emphasize his point.

Raven glares at them before she grits her teeth, "Ugh, fine. Just make sure you pull your own weight and don't slow us down. We won't be there to save you if something happens to you," Raven says as she storms past them.

"Gee, thanks for the concern, Mom," Yang mutters, then looks to her group. "Alright guys, let's get this mess cleaned up, and then hopefully my mom will keep her word. Come on," she ushers them towards the exit of the camp.

They follow Raven outside, along with some of her men to see a large group of Grimm heading towards their camp. Raven draws her sword while her right hand-woman, Vernal, pulls out her pistols. The rest draw their weapons as they see what looks to be some Beowolves, Boarbatusks, and a few Beringels in the large pack. Raven aims her sword at the horde and her bandits start firing their ranged weapons. Weiss creates a glyph and sends out some fire balls, Yang fires off a few shots from her gauntlets, followed by Eizen who fires off a ball of energy at the horde. The shots take out some of the Grimm, but the rest race through the attack and get closer to the camp. Raven charges first, slicing through one Beowolf with a single stroke of her blade before going for the rest. Yang and Eizen work in tandem and through some punches at a few Beowolves. At one point, Eizen grabs Yang and throws her into the air to slug one Beowolf jumping at them in the skull, sending it crashing into the ground. Eizen sees a Boarbatusk rolling towards him, but he uses an arte to create stone pillars to stop it in its tracks. He then throws a hard left punch that sends it barreling backwards, knocking into some of its Grimm allies in the process.

Meanwhile, Eleanor thrusts her spear through the face of one Grimm, and then pulls it out to swing around at another coming from her left. Zaveid stands behind her, swinging his pendulums around at a Beringel a few times. The attack doesn't seem to do much, but then Zaveid conjures up a wind arte to create a small tornado to blow the gorilla-like Grimm up into the sky. Eleanor then jumps into the air and stabs her spear through the Grimm's chest, the pair falling onto the ground with Eleanor standing on top of it. Weiss swings her rapier at one Boarbatusk that runs by her, doing little damage. It then comes back around and starts rolling towards her. However, Weiss creates a glyph to stop it before it can hit her, and then spins around to shove her weapon through its left eye and into its brain, killing the beast. Weiss smirks before she notices a Beringel coming at her from behind. However, Yang suddenly comes in and punches the Grimm in the side of its face, knocking it back. The two smile at each other before getting serious again and facing the Beringel. The Beringel pounds it chest before it charges at them. Weiss creates a glyph for Yang to jump on and off of, firing a shot at the Beringel's face, staggering it. Weiss uses some ice Dust and stabs her rapier into the ground, sending out a surge of ice that freezes the Grimm in place. Yang then comes in and pounds the Grimm in the face with so many hard punches that its head eventually gets blasted off its shoulders.

Raven swings her sword several times, slashing through several Beowolves before sheathing her blade again. She gets ready to face off against a Boarbatusk heading towards her, only for Eizen to jump in the way and stop its charge with his left hand. He then throws am uppercut to knock it into the air, followed by several powerful hooks that send it crashing through a few trees. He smirks before stopping a Beowolf attacking with its claws by grabbing said claws, swinging it around and slamming it onto the ground. He then conjures an arte to create some stone pillars that impale the Grimm through its back. Meanwhile, Raven is in slight awe at how he fights.

 _"Using only his fists and some weird magic I've never seen before. Aside from the latter, his fighting style is similar... to Tai's,"_ Raven mentally notes before getting back in the fight.

Zaveid and Eleanor are back to back as a pack of Beowolves come at them from all sides. The pair glance at each other before nodding. Zaveid then wraps one of his pendulums around Eleanor's legs and then starts spinning her around, while she simultaneously spins her spear around at the Grimm, ripping them apart before Zaveid releases Eleanor and she gracefully lands back on her feet. Meanwhile, Yang throws an uppercut into the skull of one Beowolf, sending it flying, only to see a Beringel charging towards her. Yang gets ready to face it, when suddenly the Grimm's head falls off and its body plummets to the ground. Yang is a little surprised, but then see her mother standing behind the dead Grimm, sheathing her sword. Yang glares at her while Raven just smirks back, before Yang fires off a shot at her head. Raven is a little spooked, only to see the shot fly right by her and nail an approaching Boarbatusk between the eyes. Raven looks back to her daughter, seeing her smirk before she runs off into another fight.

Eizen flash-steps behind one Beringel and throws a hard few punches into its spine, breaking it, before he finishes it with a hard left uppercut to send it into the trees. He then looks around to see that the rest of the Grimm have been dealt with by the others. With the battle over things calm down, and the gang looks around to see that only a few of the bandits were injured in the melee. Raven sheathes her sword and sees her daughter's group regroup and start walking towards her.

"Looks like it's over. Now then, I believe we had a deal," Yang tells her.

Raven glares at her daughter for a moment, but then sighs, "Fine. I'll send you to your sister. However, there's one thing we need to do first," Raven says.

"And what would that be?" Weiss retorts.

"If you're really going after Ruby, then you all need to know the truth. Come with me into my tent," Raven says and heads back inside the camp to her tent.

The group stare at each other a bit before they follow her and enter the tent as well. While the bandits outside focus on repairs, the group focus on Raven, who is sitting on one side of a table while Vernal pours her some tea. Yang, Weiss, and Eleanor sit on the other side while Eizen and Zaveid stand behind them.

Raven looks to Vernal, "You can wait outside. Thank you," she says.

Vernal nods and takes her leave.

"So, what's the 'truth'?" Yang asks, glaring at Raven.

Raven sips her tea, "You know, it's better when it's hot," she notes obnoxiously.

"You know, you're really obnoxious," Weiss says with disdain.

"The truth is that 'truth' is hard to come by. A story of victory for one person is a story of defeat for someone else. By now, your uncle has surely told Ruby and her friends plenty of stories," Raven says.

"Well, he's never given me a reason to doubt him before," Yang retorts.

"Is this going anywhere important?" Zaveid asks.

"That doesn't mean there aren't reasons that would make you doubt them. You know, you and your friends might as well be the poster children for the Huntsman academies. Your motives vary, but you all enrolled to try and make the world a better place. It's adorable," Raven smirks.

"It's the huntsmen and huntresses duty to protect the innocent, just like mine is as the Sheperd," Eleanor notes.

"Sheperd? Pfft, whatever. The thing is, not every huntsmen and huntress enroll at the academies for noble reasons. Some people are just in it for the money and the fame, but there's even more that are just looking to grow stronger. Your Uncle Qrow and I didn't attend Beacon to become Huntsmen, we did it to learn how to kill Huntsmen," Raven admits, making Yang and Weiss gasps while the others glance at each other. "Daddy and Uncle left that part out, hm?" Raven says before pouring herself some more tea. "Aside from the Grimm, Huntsmen were the only ones capable of ruining our raids and hunting us down. Our tribe needed a counterforce. And Qrow and I were the perfect age," she explains and stands up. "The entrance exams were child's play compared to what we'd already been through. We were good. So good, that we caught the attention of Beacon's very own headmaster, Professor Ozpin. Even after we were put on a team, I could tell he was keeping his eye on us. Back then, I thought it was because he knew, but it was Team STRQ he was interested in," Raven says as she turns her back on them.

"What do you mean?" Eizen asks.

"Constant attention, extra training missions, turning a blind eye whenever we happened to break the rules and get into more trouble than we should've. Sound familiar?" Raven asks as she glances back at them.

Yang and Weiss share another glance at each other. Weiss gestures Yang to keep going.

"What's your point?" Yang asks.

Raven turns back to them "How much do you know about Professor Ozpin? About his past?"

"I read that he was... a prodigy. One of the youngest headmasters to be appointed to a school. Not to mention being a very skilled huntsman," Weiss says.

"Because that's how he planned it. Because the man you know as Ozpin designed those schools and has followers inside every academy on Remnant that are loyal to him and no one else," Raven says.

"You mean, like a secret organization?" Eleanor asks.

"That doesn't make any sense! How could he have...? No. Why would someone even do that?" Yang asks.

"Because old man Oz has a great and terrible secret. One that could spread fear across the world. One that he eventually entrusted to our team, and once I knew, there was no going back. I needed to know more, but with every new discovery I made, the more horrifying the world became," Raven explains.

"Alright, so what's the big secret?" Eizen asks. "Even though we actually already know some of what's going on."

"The Creatures of Grimm... have a master named Salem. She can't be stopped, she can't be reasoned with, and she will not rest until humanity crumbles at her feet," Raven admits.

Hearing this makes Weiss and Yang widen their eyes in shock at learning such a revelation. Meanwhile, the others just glance at each other, a little surprised, but not as much as Weiss and Yang.

"What?" Weiss asks, still shocked.

"You know, you guys haven't even touched your tea," Raven notes as she turns back to them before taking another sip of her tea while Yang stands up.

"Why should we believe any of this?" Yang asks.

"Now you're catching on. So far, you've done nothing but accept what others tell you..." Raven begins as she walks up to Yang and puts her cup down on the table. "But you need to question everything," Raven says as Yang stares her down in the eyes defiantly. Raven then turns around. "Otherwise you'll end up just as blind as Qrow... and your fool of a father," Raven says as she glances back at them.

A shot from Ember Celica is heard, destroying the table. Raven's empty teacup clatters across the floor, stopping when it hits the heel of her boot. Raven looks toward Yang, faintly smiling, seeing that Yang's eyes have turned red now.

"Don't you DARE talk about my family like that!" Yang threatens her, making Weiss stare wide-eyed at her and winch as she raises her voice.

Just then, a weapon is heard being cocked from behind and they look back to see Vernal, aiming her weapon at Yang's head.

"You need to calm down," Vernal warns her.

However, something knocks her weapon out of her hand and she sees Zaveid catch it and aim it back at her, retracting one of his pendulums. She then sees Eizen and Eleanor brandishing their weapons at her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Zaveid taunts her.

"Guys, please, calm down," Weiss asks them.

They glance at her for a moment before Zaveid tosses Vernal back her weapon and she catches it. However, they keep their weapons out.

Weiss then turns to her girlfriend and reaches up to hold Yang's hand, "Yang, please," she tries to calm her down.

"Listen to your friend, Yang. Your teammates never let you down before," Raven notes.

"You don't know the first thing about my teammates! About me! You were never there! You LEFT US!" Yang shouts, and then her eyes turn back to normal. "Why?!" she asks as she calms down and hangs her head.

"Geez, first it was your friend Velvet, and now you're giving me the riot act," Raven mutters, but Yang still hears and looks up.

"Velvet?! She's alive?! And she was here?!" Yang asks.

"Yes. She came to me looking for Ruby just like you are. I refused to help her because she wouldn't join me, and she left. I don't know where she went or if she's already found your sister. A fool's errand if you ask me," Raven notes.

"If Velvet's alive, then she's looking for Ruby because she cares about her. Like I said before, you don't know my teammates," Yang retorts.

"I know more than you realize. Not just about you or your teammates, and not just what I've been told, but things I've seen with my own eyes. I know the Grimm have a leader, I know people and beings who can come back from the dead, I know that magic is real, and I can prove it," Raven says, and then Weiss stands up to join with Yang. "You said Tai told you all about my semblance," she begins and then makes for the back exit of the tent. "Well, I doubt he ever told you what Oz did to my brother and me," she says and then leaves the tent, leaving the four confused.

"Go see for yourself," Vernal says and then leaves herself.

The five stare at each other before nodding and leave to follow Raven, only to find the back of the camp empty.

"Mom?" Yang calls out.

"Yang, are you okay?" Weiss asks, worried about her friend.

"I'll be fine once we can get her to take us to Ruby," Yang says as she looks around for her mother.

"Calm yourself, Yang. We still need her to take us there," Eizen notes.

"You guys don't believe what she said, right?" Yang asks them.

"Well, honestly, it's kind of hard not to. I mean, look what we've seen with Velvet and her old friends. I mean, it's not too far-fetched to believe that magic exists, don't you think?" Weiss replies.

"I... guess you have a point there," Yang mutters.

Just then, they hear a bird caw and look up to see a raven flying above them.

"A raven?" Weiss mutters.

"I've... seen that bird before," Yang notes.

"Maybe it belongs to your mom?" Weiss asks.

The four continue to watch the raven fly in the dusk-colored sky. It descends, flying and weaving between the trees, before shapeshifting into Raven herself. Raven lands back on the ground on her feet. Yang and Weiss are surprised by this, but the others, not so much, though they are a little bit.

"How... did you do that?" Yang slowly asks.

Raven smirks, "Well, I could explain it to you..." she trails off and then draws her sword, slashing behind her, and creating a portal with her semblance. "... or you could ask your uncle," she says.

"You're letting us go?" Yang asks, surprised.

"I'm giving you a choice," Raven begins while sheathing her sword. "Stay here, with me, and I'll answer all your questions and more. We can have a fresh start. Or... you can go back to Qrow and join Ozpin's impossible war against Salem, and meet the same fate as so many others. But can you really go back to trusting someone that's kept so much from you?" Raven asks as she stands aside from the portal.

Weiss is a little timid, while Eleanor, Eizen, and Zaveid just stare at her. However, Yang remains with a defiant glare.

"All I care about is making sure my sister is safe," Yang declares.

"Ugh...," Raven groans, disappointed that Yang chose her sister over her.

A moment later, Yang and Weiss are seen riding on Bumblebee, with Eizen, Eleanor, and Zaveid walking beside them towards the portal. However, before they can enter the portal, Yang looks to her mother.

"Yang. If you side with your uncle, I may not be as kind the next time we meet..." Raven tells her.

Weiss just rolls her eyes and looks ahead while Yang glares at her mother one more time.

"You weren't kind this time either," Yang says.

Yang and Weiss proceed through the portal on Bumblebee.

"I know...," Raven mutters before looking to the rest. "And you, why are you helping them?" she asks.

Eizen is the one to answer, "...Because that's how we live. That's OUR creed," he says and then they leave through the portal before it closes.

…

Back in Mistral, Qrow is seen leaning against a stone railing after searching for more huntsmen to join them... and coming up with no one available.

"This isn't right. I get one or two of them, but... all of them? What the Hell happened here?" Qrow wonders. He sighs and hangs his head. Suddenly, he hears the sound of Raven's portal behind him. "Raven?" he says. The sound of a motorcycle is heard coming from the portal. "...Oh," he mutters in surprise.

…

Back at the house, the rest of Ruby's group are preparing dinner. At one area, Velvet is stirring a pot full of noodles while Ruby watches.

"Aw, come on, why can't I help?" Ruby pouts a little.

"Ruby, you know I love you... But when you tried baking cookies one time, they were as hard as rocks," Velvet deadpans.

"That was one time!" Ruby pouts.

"So, how many people do you think are coming to this little party?" Magilou asks, eating a carrot.

"Who knows? Hopefully, enough to make a difference," Velvet notes.

A door is heard being opened, "I'm back!" they hear Qrow call out.

"Be right there!" Ruby yells back.

"Maybe you should go see how many mouths we'll have to feed," Velvet says.

"But what about the food?" Ruby asks.

"Ren and I got it covered. You, take the tea tray," Velvet says.

"Hey, uh, Ruby?" Qrow calls out again.

Ruby looks at the tray and sighs, "Okay..." she says and takes the tray. Ruby looks at the tray as she walks into the living room, "So, we didn't know how many people were coming, so we just cooked all of it," she says and then looks up, only to gasp and drop the tray, breaking all its contents. Standing before her is Qrow, but also three people she didn't recognize and her teammate Weiss, but most of all, her sister Yang, who slowly approaches Ruby. Ruby's voice starts to crack, "Yang, I... I'm so sorry! I-I should've stayed, and I should've talked to you more! I'd- I just... I wasn't sure if you wanted me around and-," she says, tears beginning to form in her eyes, until she stops when Yang suddenly wraps her sister in a big, warm hug.

Tears form in her eyes as Yang holds her sister closer, "...I love you," she says.

Ruby sobs as she leans into her sister's hug, "I love you too," she says, hugging her back.

Magilou, Jaune, Ren and Nora enter the room, smiling at the sight of the two sisters embracing each other. Qrow smiles as well. Eizen, Eleanor, and Zaveid smile at the scene. Oscar Pine enters the room and smiles a bit. Weiss smiles as she wipes a tear from her eye, before she starts frowning and looks away.

"Weiss," Ruby says, gaining her attention.

Weiss looks up, and sees the two sisters open their arms up for her. She smiles and eagerly joins them in their hug.

"Took you two long enough," they hear and separate, only for Yang and Weiss to widen their eyes when they see Velvet in front of them. "Been a while, eh guys," she notes, smiling.

Yang and Weiss say nothing, still in shock, before both walk up to Velvet and surprise her with a big hug, which she returns, and one that Ruby joins in as everyone watches the touching reunion of most of Team RVWBY.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Now, most of our players are reunited, with only Blake and Rokurou's group left out of the picture. Next chapter goes back to them. What will Yang and Weiss think when they learn what Ruby's group has to tell them? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	77. Chapter 77: Much to Discuss

**Here we are at Chapter 77. Time for some happy reunion time with most of the members of Team RVWBY as well as Velvet's old crew. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 77. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 77: Much to Discuss**

In Mistral, most of the members of Team RVWBY are in the dining room, along with Velvet's old allies, and the members of Team JNPR, all eating and happily chatting with old friends that they haven't seen in a long time.

"It was crazy! I was alone at the house, with just Zwei, and Dad was gone, and all of a sudden, I find the man they called the Reaper in my living room. I thought he was a burglar, and I tried to fight him off. Of course, that didn't go so well, and then I find out that he was an old friend of yours," Yang explains.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad. Besides, I did save your butt from that one Ursa," Eizen notes from the other side of the table.

"Yeah, because your Reaper's Curse caused it to show up," Yang deadpans.

"Great, first Qrow's misfortune semblance, and now Eizen's Reaper's Curse. Say goodbye to things being normal for us now," Velvet says, before eating more noodles.

"This coming from the girl with a demon claw, and that apparently came from another world. I think 'normal' went right out the front door the moment you joined our team," Weiss says.

"Hey, was I that bad?" Velvet asks.

"No, just made things a lot more complicated," Yang notes.

Velvet activates her demon claw, "You want to go flying like old times back at Beacon?" Velvet warns her.

Yang holds up her hands, "No thanks, I'm good," she relents, and Velvet deactivates her demon claw.

"So, Weiss, you actually went to Patch to find Yang and then after training, went to find Ruby?" Velvet asks the white-haired girl.

"Yes, I-," Weiss begins.

"She was drowning in tears over missing her beloved, and so she rode on a white horse to come to her loved one's aid. Oh, it was so romantic," Yang dramatically interrupts her.

"D-D-Don't make things up, you brute!" Weiss yells while madly blushing.

"Ah, but you know I'm right, right?" Yang smirks.

Weiss looks away, "Well... not exactly in that way, but I did want to see you again," she mutters.

"Ah, you're so adorable when you're blushing, princess," Yang says as she pulls Weiss in for a quick kiss on the cheek, making her girlfriend blush even more.

"I felt the same way when I reunited with Velvet," Ruby says, holding Velvet's hand, and making the demon girl smile back at her.

"Yeah, I was surprised to find out that you two found each other again... After the Fall of Beacon, you went missing and we had no idea what happened to you or if we'd ever see you again. Hey Eleanor, did you know about what happened to Velvet?" Yang asks.

"I apologize for not telling you sooner, but we weren't exactly told to do so by Summer Rose. Yes, we knew that Velvet was alive, but she was indisposed at the time. She needed time to rest and train in the realm between worlds where Summer Rose is before she could return to your world, and we had our objectives with your team to focus on. But, we always knew that one day you would be reunited with each other again," Eleanor explains.

"We needed to guys to focus on getting back on your feet and getting back to Ruby. That was the task that was assigned to us," Zaveid adds.

"Yeah, that's still hard to wrap my head around sometimes. That Ruby's mom is the one that sent Velvet here from wherever you guys originally came from," Jaune says, rubbing her head.

"Hey, it was a little weird getting used to how things are done in your world, but I got to used to it soon enough. Besides, I'd go through a hundred different worlds if it meant finding Ruby again," Velvet says, smiling lovingly at Ruby, who returns the gesture.

Eleanor notices the exchange and smiles, "You've changed, Velvet," she notes.

This gets Velvet's attention, "I have?" Velvet asks, confused.

"Yeah, even more so than when you were with us and Laphicet. You smile more and are more open with others. Not to mention the fact that you're in a relationship with Ruby. That still takes me for a loop at times," Eleanor explains.

"Who knew there'd be someone out there that could conquer the Lord of Calamity's heart?" Magilou says, laughing a bit, and making Velvet blush a bit.

"Anyway, it's good to see that you're really enjoying life again, despite all that's going on with you guys and your world. I can only assume that it has something to do with Ruby Rose here," Eleanor says.

Ruby rubs her head and laughs sheepishly from the attention.

"Well, it was definitely a surprise for me at first. But as time went on, I began to feel like nothing else mattered unless Ruby was there. She's surprised me in so many ways, and I'm grateful for her for so many things. I guess you're right, Eleanor. I have changed, and it's all thanks to Ruby," Velvet says, kissing Ruby on the head.

"Get a room, please," Nora says, making the couple blush a bit while the others laugh a little bit.

"Say another word, and I'll send you flying," Velvet threatens her, activating her demon claw again.

"Sheesh, I can't get anywhere with this girl," Nora mutters.

"That reminds me, you're not the only one with a wicked arm now, Velvet," Yang says as she stands up to show everyone her new arm. "What do you guys think, pretty cool, huh?" she says, showing it off.

The others are in awe a little bit, "Wow, that's amazing," Jaune notes.

"It's not a replacement for the real thing, but I'll be sure to get some good use out of it," Yang says.

Ruby gets stars in her eyes and immediately zips over to inspect the prosthetic arm.

"And it's just as strong?" Ruby asks.

"Yup, sure is," Yang replies, but then they hear a loud bang on the table.

"Wanna bet?" Nora challenges Yang with an arm-wrestling match.

"Nora, please, this isn't-," Weiss begins, but the two are already at it, with the others cheering or watching on.

"Come on Yang. You can't lose to a girl in a skirt!" Ruby cheers for her sister.

"... You wear a skirt, Ruby," Weiss says, frowning.

"Weiss, you're not cheering loud enough!" Ruby shouts.

However, a sudden demon claw clamps down on the clasped hands of the two competitors, making them look up to see Velvet with her demon claw out. Velvet looks unamused as she picks them up and tosses them aside. However, after they land on the floor, Velvet notices Yang missing her right arm and then notices said arm still in the grip of her demon claw. She raises an eyebrow to it before tossing it back to Yang, who catches it.

"Aw, I was hoping that would at least startle you a bit," Yang pouts as she puts her arm back on.

Velvet deactivates her demon claw, "Come on, you're talking to the former Lord of Calamity here. I practically invented true fear back in my world. Nothing scares me these days," she says, hand on her hip.

After things calmed down, the others cleaned up their empty plates and traded them in for cups of warm tea, sitting or standing around the table.

"A lot has happened since Vale, and even while we were at Beacon," Yang notes.

"Indeed. We've all grown up a lot in our own ways," Ren notes at the center of the table.

"You think so?" Ruby asks.

"Well, look at it this way. Did you think you did something embarrassing, or that you were perfect, or that you weren't the most open with others," Ren lists off.

"Oh, gosh," Weiss says as she hides her face in her hands, embarrassed.

"I may have been a little gun-ho at times," Yang notes.

"Well, I know I wasn't exactly the friendliest student at school," Velvet adds.

"Yeah... Well, don't get me started," Jaune notes, leaning against the wall behind some of them.

"Yeah, we weren't there to see what you guys were up to, but if it involves Velvet, I'm sure it must've been one wild ride," Magilou notes.

"Yes, well, that embarrassment – that desire to go back and tell yourself not to do something stupid or embarrassing, or to be more open with people... That just proves that you're not the same person you used to be. You're smarter, stronger, kinder, more open and willing to be with others. It's all a sign that you're growing up. And we're not done growing yet," Ren says.

"When did you get so wise, Ren. You sound like an old Malik from my world," Velvet notes, making everyone laugh a little bit.

"Well, I thought I was pretty great at school," Nora says.

"You mean like at the dance? When you spilled punch all over your-," Yang begins, until Nora suddenly ends up behind her, with loud music playing from her school.

"YES, especially the dance! Thank you, Yang!" Nora yells, making her cover her ears.

"Can't you guys have one dinner without causing so much commotion?!" they hear someone call out and look to see Qrow enter the room, with Oscar by his side.

…

A few minutes later, everyone is in the living room, with some on the couches and chairs while the rest are standing around the table in a circle. Ozpin has taken control of Oscar's body again and has just finished explaining the situation to Yang's group.

"So, the Maidens. Magic. Salem. It's all true?" Weiss asks.

"Uh-huh. All of it," Qrow says.

"Yeah, we were already informed about this stuff for the most part by Summer Rose before we were sent here. This is just a refresher course for us, if nothing else," Eizen says, flipping his coin as he gestures to his group.

"Miss Xiao Long, is this more or less what your mother told you?" Ozpin asks.

Everyone looks to Yang, who has her arms crossed and a not-so-happy look on her face.

"Almost. You forgot to tell them what you did to my uncle and my mother," Yang says, looking at Ozpin now.

This makes Ruby gasp, while a few of the others glance at each other.

"Oh, great," Qrow mutters.

"Hm. That's not something I'd suspect Miss Branwen would divulge so easily. Your mother must trust you a great deal," Ozpin notes, but Yang only scowls at him. "My ability to reincarnate, though a curse, isn't without a few key benefits. Much like the Maidens, I too possess a certain... "magical" power," he says before standing up and walks over to Qrow. "Using this power, I was able to gift the Branwen twins the ability to "see" more, to move freely and be unburdened by their natural bodies. I... well... gave them the ability to turn into birds. Heh-heh-heh, rather ridiculous sounding out loud, isn't it?" Ozpin explains.

"Turning people into birds. Well, at least that's nowhere near as bad as when humans turn into demons in our world," Eizen notes.

"Hey, magic is supposed to be my thing," Magilou says.

"Is that really true, Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asks.

"It's true. We saw Raven Branwen change before our eyes. It was quite bizarre, to be honest," Eleanor says.

Yang gets a little angry now, "Why would you do something like that? I mean, what is wrong with you?" she almost yells at Ozpin.

"Yang! That's enough. We made a choice. We wanted this," Qrow defends the former headmaster.

Ozpin looks to Qrow, "May I?" he asks, and Qrow nods. "Granting this power to them was no trivial task, and I can assure you it was not done frivolously. I required assistance in gathering information on Salem's plans, as well as searching for Maidens when their hosts became unclear," Ozpin explains.

That reminds Weiss of something, "But, what about Velvet? Didn't you say that she had a part of the Fall Maiden's power?" Weiss asks.

Velvet activates her power for a moment, conjuring a small flame in her right hand, "Yes, but again, it's only a piece of it. I'll need to get the rest from Cinder should we ever face her again. And, given that she's Salem's lackey, that's a very likely possibility," she says, deactivating her power.

"Do you want to become the Fall Maiden?" Yang asks.

"Honestly, no. But, it's better that I have the power than Cinder having it," Velvet replies.

"Okay, let's retract a little bit here. Have you done this sort of thing with anyone else? Like Professor Goodwitch or General Ironwood?" Ruby asks.

"As helpful as that might be, unfortunately, it is not that simple. My power is finite, and if I'm being honest, dwindling. The amount that I gifted to Qrow and Raven was, all things considered, rather miniscule. You see, centuries ago, I sacrificed a great deal of magic to four young women, who I hoped would use my gift for good. They were the first Maidens. Miss Xiao Long, it was never my intention to lie to you. To any of you. There are just some matters that I prefer to... 'play close to the chest'. I believe that's how you phrased it?" Ozpin says, looking to Qrow.

Qrow grunts, smiling, "Yeah," he replies.

"Well, it's not like I'm any better. I kept secrets from you guys, after all," Velvet notes.

"Yes, but you told us a lot sooner, and besides, your story is a little more far-fetched than Ozpin's, from a regular person's point of view," Weiss notes.

"Indeed, though hardly any of us are really normal at this point. Everyone has a choice. The Branwens chose to accept their powers and the responsibilities that came with them. And later, one of them chose to abandon her duties in favor of her own self-interest. One of you now has a part of an amazing power, though not by choice. Now, all of you have a choice. If anyone wishes to leave, now is the time. There's no shame or disgrace in abstaining, only in retreat," Ozpin says as he turns his back to them. When no one declines, he smiles and turns back around. "Very well, then," he says, but then Yang stands up.

"Yang?" Ruby asks.

"Velvet, what do you think about all of this?" Yang asks her teammate.

Velvet takes a moment to think upon her words, "Honestly, I have no idea. I'm no saint or great savior. There's too much blood on my hands to ever be considered such a thing. But I also know something else. I know Ruby won't give up or retreat. I know that she always knows what is the right thing to do. So, wherever she goes, I go," Velvet declares.

Yang stares at her and then smiles, "Alright then. If Velvet is so sure, and if Ruby sticks around, then I will too. If there's one thing I know about her, it's that she somehow always knows the right thing to do. But, if we're going to help, if we're going to keep risking our lives, no more lies. No more half-truths. We've all been pulled into this mess now, so you need to be straight with us," Yang tells Ozpin.

Ozpin eventually nods, "Very well," he replies, and Yang sits back down.

"So... what now? I mean, what can we do?" Jaune asks.

"Mm, that is a difficult question. One that I believe is best answered tomorrow," Ozpin says as he walks over to where Yang and Weiss are sitting.

"How so?" Ren asks.

"The road ahead is undoubtedly filled with hardships and peril. However, it's been far too long since you have all been together. Please, take this time to enjoy your reunion," Ozpin says as he places a hand on Yang's shoulder, making them smile.

Suddenly Ozpin's eyes glow as Oscar is given back control of his body. He then notices the position he's in with Yang, and freaks out as he jumps back. Some members of the group laugh at his expense before they hear a new sound coming from Nora.

Nora comes to a sudden realization, "Oooohhh. Raven? Qrow? They're birds! Cracked it!" she says, smiling at her 'genius', while Ren shakes his head at Nora for being slow on the uptake.

"Well, it's been a long day, so I think we'd better go and find ourselves a place to stay. There's not enough rooms in this place for all of us," Eizen says as he, Eleanor, Zaveid, and Magilou take their leave.

"Wait, where are you guys going to stay?" Weiss asks.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out. We're smart that way," Magilou says.

"Besides, you want a guy with a misfortune semblance and another guy with the Reaper's Curse to be rooming in the same building?" Zaveid asks.

Just after he said that, the dining room table breaks in half, and then the chandelier hanging above falls down on top of it, spooking everyone in the room.

"I'm thinking we let them go," Jaune nervously says.

"I rest my case," Zaveid says before they continue on.

"Will you all be helping us as well?" Ren asks.

"For a little while longer, but not for the whole thing. We can't stay here for too long. We have things we have to take care of back home. When the time comes for us to return home, we'll let you guys know," Eizen says before they all leave the building.

"Well, at least that means we should have more help for a while," Ruby says.

"Wait, Velvet, when your friends leave, will you be leaving as well?" Nora asks.

Velvet is a little surprised by the question, but smiles and shakes my head, "My time in my old world came to an end when I stopped Artorius from completing his objective. This is my home now, and I'm sticking around for the long haul," Velvet replies, making the others smile.

"Welp, with that said, I think we should all turn in shortly. It won't be long before the fall semester at Haven begins, and you kids still got some training to do. Go rest up," Qrow says.

"Good idea. Let's go, princess," Yang says to Weiss.

"We are sleeping in SEPARATE beds, Yang," Weiss tells her.

"Oh, come on. It's not like I was going to do anything... yet," Yang replies, smirking.

Weiss blushes, "This is hardly the place or time, you perverted blonde brute!" she retorts.

"Well, if you guys are going to do something, better not do it while we're around. Like these two lovebirds here," Nora says, pointing to Ruby and Velvet.

Yang gets suspicious, "What's she talking about?" she asks.

Ruby and Velvet blush and look away, "Um well, that's private, between us," Ruby replies.

Yang starts to put the pieces together, and her eyes turn red, "VELVET!"

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Yang's group is informed about the current situation in Mistral. Yang also learns how far Ruby and Velvet's relationship has progressed, and not in a good way. Things will soon be moving to a head in this part of the story. Will Team RVWBY be ready for them? Will Velvet be able to handle an angry Yang? Until then, please Read and Review.**


	78. Chapter 78: Relationship Business

**Here we are at Chapter 78. Let's see how the group at Mistral is doing now that they've got more members (and to see if Yang hasn't killed Velvet yet). I do not own RBWY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 78. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 78: Relationship Business**

"You're being a little ridiculous right now, you know that right?" Weiss notes as she brushes her hair on her bed early in the morning.

On the other bed, Yang sits with her arms crossed, and her cheeks puffed, "I have no idea what you're talking about," Yang replies, still angry.

"Let me see if I got this straight: you don't get mad or go nuts when your little sister fights against giant monsters, but you will go crazy when she makes love to a person that she loves, who is in fact another girl? And let's not forget who tried playing matchmaker for the two of them back at Beacon," Weiss says, staring at her.

"Look, I know it seems stupid. Fighting monsters is one thing, but... that kind of thing is different. She's too young for that," Yang argues.

"Oh please, should I start naming all the times you made any kind of joke, terrible pun, or any word involving you and me doing the exact same thing?" Weiss asks with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Well, that's different because-," Yang begins.

"How, because we're older by one year? Ruby is sixteen and she's had to fight and survive without our help for over half a year... It still bothers me that I wasn't there to help when I should. But back to the main point, you need to get over this and apologize to them. What they do in their relationship is their business, not ours," Weiss says.

At this point, Yang starts to waver, "But, she's my little sister," she retorts.

Weiss sighs, stops brushing her hair, and goes to sit next to Yang, "Yang, she will always be your little sister, but she isn't 'little' anymore. None of us are. Ruby loves Velvet and Velvet loves her, so I doubt she did anything Ruby didn't want her to do. Besides, do you really think Velvet would do something to hurt Ruby, or force her into that kind of situation?" Weiss asks.

At hearing this, Yang sighs and drops her arms, "...No... she wouldn't," she says, knowing it's the truth.

"Then there really isn't any problem here. Besides, would you rather it be a guy that could've gotten Ruby pregnant?" Weiss asks, a subtle smirk on her face.

"Hell no! I'll kill him before that happens!" Yang yells, but then sees the smirk on Weiss' face. "That's not funny," she says, unamused.

"Maybe, but it's only more proof to my argument. Look, just go talk with them and get this sorted out. We've got other problems to deal with in case you've forgotten," Weiss says.

Yang sighs again, "Fine, I'll go talk to them. But first..." Yang says, before she suddenly changes their positions with her on top of Weiss on the bed. "I need to cool down a bit. Maybe some 'We-ice' cream can help out with that?" Yang jokes.

"One: your puns are ridiculous. Two: we are not doing 'it' here when everyone else is around," Weiss retorts, though the blush on her face makes her argument seem less convincing.

"Don't worry, nothing like that. I'll wait until we're all alone for that," Yang says, smirking.

"Yang, that's not-," Weiss begins until Yang stops her with her lips, and Weiss eventually gives in as she closes her eyes and embraces the kiss, wrapping her arms around Yang's neck.

…

Meanwhile, Eizen, Eleanor, and Zaveid return to the house to pay the others a visit.

"You sure we should be here? Well, because of..." Eleanor trails off as she looks to Eizen.

"Don't worry, Velvet sent me a message saying that Qrow left earlier this morning. You'll just have to deal with my Reaper's Curse, not that and Qrow's semblance. We're good," Eizen replies.

"Saying that we're good for just dealing with the 'Reaper's Curse' doesn't exactly sound like a good thing. But then again, I'm used to it by this point," Eleanor replies before they head inside.

Inside, they find Magilou doing some card tricks in front of Nora and Jaune, with Bienfu of course.

"Good morning guys, what are you doing?" Eleanor greets them.

"Oh, good morning. Just having a little fun and showing these mere mortals my magnificence," Magilou says.

Jaune leans over to the newcomers, "Is she always like this?" he whispers.

"Pretty much. You get used to it," Zaveid notes.

"So, everybody doing okay so far?" Eizen asks.

"Yeah, we're doing fine. But I still can't figure out how Magilou is able to do all this stuff. I mean, where do all those cards from, her book-skirt?" Nora asks.

"A magician never reveals her secrets," Magilou replies, waving a finger with a card twirling on it in the air.

"Don't think too hard on it. Magilou herself is still a mystery," Eleanor notes.

"Where are the others?" Eizen asks.

"Well, Ren is helping Oscar with a little bit of aura training downstairs with Ozpin, Ruby, Velvet, Yang, and Weiss are in their rooms. A bit of a lover's quarrel going on between them right now," Jaune replies.

"How come?" Eleanor asks.

"I'd rather not say, but it's not that bad. They'll make up eventually, so I think we should leave them be for right now. I'm sure it'll all work out," Jaune explains.

…

Speaking of which, Ruby and Velvet are in their room, laying on the same bed together.

"You think your sister is still mad at me?" Velvet asks.

Ruby scoots a little closer to her, "Maybe, but I'm sure she'll be fine. I just wish she'd stop treating me like a little kid sometimes. I know she loves me, but I'm not a little girl anymore. I can take care of myself and make my own decisions," Ruby says.

"Well, as a big sister myself, and someone who had a big sister, I can't say that I don't understand her concern. But, I still think she went a little overboard there. Besides, it's not like I can make you have a baby or anything," Velvet notes.

"How do babies get made again exactly?" Ruby asks.

"You don't need to know that until you're older," Velvet quickly shoots her down.

"Hey, no fair!" Ruby pouts, puffing her cheeks, and making Velvet laugh a little.

"Back on topic, we're gonna have to settle this mess with Yang sooner or later," Velvet notes.

"Yeah, I just wish I knew how," Ruby replies. Just then, they got a knock on their door. "Who is it?" Ruby calls out.

"It's Magilou. Are you two decent?" they hear behind the door.

Both girls sit up and separate a little bit, "Yes, now get your head out of the gutter and get in here," Velvet says.

Magilou opens the door and peers in first to make sure it's safe before entering, "Oh, good. I didn't want to accidently walk in on you two doing you-know-what," she jokes.

The couple blush at this, "We're not gonna do something like that when everyone else is in the house!" Velvet yells.

Magilou smirks, "oh, so does that mean that you'd do that sort of thing if it was just the two of you in the house?" she teases them.

"You have three options. One: you walk back out that door before I kill you. Two: you tell us why you really showed up. Or three: say one more word about this topic, and I'll kill you," Velvet warns her, activating her arm blade for good emphasis.

"Fine, fine, sheesh. I just thought you should know that Yang wants to talk to you guys. And only talk. No trying to bash your face in. I think that Ice Queen girlfriend of hers helped to cool her down," Magilou says before taking her leave while she still has the chance.

Velvet and Ruby look at each other, "Well, I guess there's no use in avoiding it now," Ruby says.

Velvet sighs, "Let's just hope Weiss can keep Yang calm long enough for us to have a five-minute conversation," she says before taking Ruby's hand and exiting the room.

They come to Yang and Weiss' room, knocking before they enter. When they come in, they see Weiss and Yang sitting on one bed, looking back at them. Seeing as how Yang's eyes haven't turned red yet, that's a possible good sign. Weiss has her hands on Yang's arm to help keep her calm. Velvet and Ruby walk in and close the door before moving to sit on the bed opposite to theirs. For a few moments, a tense silence takes over the room, with no one being able to say the first word. However, after a few minutes, Weiss groans a bit.

"Just get it over with already," Weiss says.

"...Look Yang, I-," Ruby begins, but then Yang holds a hand up to stop her.

"Hold on, Ruby. Let me start first. Look Velvet, first, I wanted to... apologize for exploding on you like that earlier. It's just, hearing that my sister, my LITTLE sister has moved that far into your relationship, it just... I didn't know what to think, so I didn't. You have to understand, Ruby's my little sister. She'll always be my little sister, and I'll always worry about her. I know that sounds stupid considering the kind of work that we do. But fighting monsters is one thing, but this is just... different," Yang explains.

"Yang, first I accept your apology. Look, I love Ruby, you know that. You also know that I would never try to hurt her or force her to do something she didn't want to do. But that's just my part," Velvet says, and then turns to Ruby.

Yang looks to her sister, "Ruby?" she asks.

"Yang, I know that you were just looking out for me. I love that about you. I know that you'll always have my back and be there to help me, because we're family and we love each other. But, you need to come to terms with the fact that I am not a little kid anymore. I can make my own decisions and I can take care of myself. I'll always need my big sister in my life, but there are some things that are just NOT your business," Ruby says. Yang appears shocked by Ruby's words, but says nothing as she continues. "Yang, I love Velvet. Yes, we did it, but it's because we love each other and missed each other for so long. I know that she wouldn't hurt me. Besides, it's not like I don't try to find out what you and Weiss have been doing when you're alone," Ruby says, making the other couple blush.

"Because that's none of your business!" Yang says, but quickly feels guilty about it.

One, because she almost yelled at her sister again, and two, she just proved her own sister's argument.

"Exactly, that is none of my business. Just like what goes on in our relationship is none of yours," Ruby says.

When Yang realizes this and is unable to come up with a counter-argument, Weiss decides to speak this time.

"Now then, I think we can all agree that what went down the other day could've gone better. However, we now have some guidelines here. The personal stuff in our relationships is no one's business but our own. Yang, Ruby, I suggest you hug and make up right now," Weiss says. Ruby and Yang stare at each other for a moment before they stand up and give each other a loving hug. "Good, now Yang, go and hug Velvet," she adds. Yang and Velvet look at each other for a longer period of time, but they too eventually embrace one another. "Good, now then, I suggest we move on and get along again. There will always be arguments between family. I know this better than anyone. However, as a family, we love each other and we'll always be there for one another. So, let's get along again, together," Weiss says, once more being the voice of reason on the team.

The others look between her and each other before they smile and nod in agreement.

…

While the members of Team RVWBY were having their little relationship discussion, the rest of the crew living in the house decided to have a training session out in the courtyard with Velvet's old friends, along with Ozpin who had taken control of Oscar's body again to watch and critique their progress. Currently, it is Eleanor going up against Nora. Nora fires off a few grenade shots at Eleanor, but the Shepherd spins her staff in front of her, casting a wind arte to blow the grenades away and off to the side, causing a few pink explosions to erupt around them. Nora then changes her weapon into its warhammer form and runs at her opponent. She then jumps into the air, her hammer wielded back behind her head. Nora swings it down at Eleanor, but Eleanor uses her staff to deflect the attack, hitting the ground instead of her. Nora tries swinging the hammer around to knock Eleanor away, but Eleanor jumps and twirls over the swing landing on her feet behind Nora. She then makes a few thrusts at her opponent, knocking her to the ground. Eleanor then performs another arte, causing a few lightning bolts to reign down on the area. When one of them hits Nora however, Eleanor is surprised to see that it doesn't hurt her, but rather it seems to only make her stronger.

"Uh oh, she ended up giving Nora a power boost. Her semblance sure comes in handy at some of the most surprising moments, don't you think," Jaune notes.

Nora stands up, smirking a bit, and then goes after Eleanor again. She swings her hammer again, and Eleanor tries to block it. However, with the swing super-charged now, it sends her flying a bit, but she stabs her spear into the ground to stop her movement. Eleanor takes a breath and looks up to see Nora charging at her again, jumping into the air with her hammer reeled back again. Eleanor changes her tactics and slams the end of her spear to the ground, causing a shockwave to ring out while cracking the ground, knocking Nora back onto her butt. Eleanor then makes an upward with her spear at Nora, hitting her hard and sending her into the air. She then jumps into the air, swinging her spear a few more times at Nora with success, and finally finishes the combo off with a flurry of quick thrusts at the pancake queen, sending her crashing into the ground. Eleanor lands on her feet and walks over to see if Nora's okay, noticing her aura sparking for a few seconds.

"Are you alright?" Eleanor asks.

Nora groans, "Ugh, can I have some pancakes?" she moans.

Ren walks over, "Don't worry, if she's asking about pancakes, then she's okay. She'll be fine," Ren notes.

"That semblance surprised me a bit," Eleanor says.

"She charges electrical energy to her muscles, making her stronger. However, the electricity has to come from an outside source. It has certainly surprised a few people over the years," Ren says as he helps Nora up.

Zaveid then pops out beside Eleanor, "Huh, that's pretty cool. Even with knowledge about this stuff beforehand, it's still weird and cool at the same time how different each person's semblance is," he says.

"I'm sure people would say the same about you if they met you," Ozpin notes as he joins them. "Your skills truly are impressive, Miss Eleanor, and Mr. Zaveid. It does help me feel better knowing that we have strong allies fighting by our side in these troubled times," he says.

"Well, we won't be around to fight every battle. When the time comes, we'll be heading back to our world," Eizen says as he walks up, flipping his coin. "However, that doesn't mean we can't help you guys out while we ARE still here for the time being," he says.

"I see. Do you know when you will be returning to your world?" Ozpin asks.

"Not really. Somewhat of an idea. But, when the time comes, we'll know," Magilou says.

"Well then, how about we move on to the next match. Any takers?" Zaveid asks.

Just then, they hear the doors open and look to see the members of Team RVWBY coming out.

"Hey guys, is... uh, everything alright now?" Jaune tentatively asks.

The four girls smile, "Yeah, we're all alright now," Yang says.

The others breathe a sigh of relief a bit, "That's good to hear. Good to see you guys getting along again," Jaune notes.

"Yeah, we just had to talk a few things out, that's all," Velvet says, wrapping an arm around Ruby, who happily leans her head on her shoulder.

"That's good to hear. With that out of the way, how about a little sparring session for old time's sake?" Zaveid suggest.

"Hmm, sure, I'm game. As long as you don't cry after I beat you," Velvet says as she walks out into the courtyard.

Zaveid laughs, "Hah, you may have beaten me before, but I've learned a few things since then. You might be surprised," he taunts her.

"We'll... so have I," Velvet replies, smirking confidently.

Zaveid's in for a big surprise.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Well, things have calmed down as Velvet and Yang are able to talk things out with each other, with help from Weiss and Ruby. Also, in case anyone is wondering or curious, the moves that any of Velvet's old friends use in these fights are moves and combos from the video game. If you ever want to see them for yourselves, you can find them on Youtube, or the game if you've played it. Anyway, a little filler chapter before we get back to the main storyline. Will Velvet's group be ready when the time comes to fight? What about Blake and Rokurou? Until then, please Read and Review.**


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